The Raven and the Serpent
by mentalsunflower
Summary: Chalondra Guarmagoz is into her 7th year at Hogwarts. She's the smartest girl in her year, even the whole house! But one faulty class can change her life forever...(based on an RP done by myself and rainbowishprincess.)
1. It Begins

A/N: Yea...this story is loosely based on an RP done by myself and rainbowishprincess. Thanks rainbowishprincess for the character of Kadric! He's so cool! n.n

**Disclaimer: **And yes, no Harry Potter idea's or characters belong to me because sadly, my imagination doesn't stretch that far. Any Harry Potter related things in this chapter OR THE FOLLOWING doesn't belong to me.

Now read on!

Chalondra danced on the waves of wind as they flew through the air of the grounds, tossing her hair about her lovely face and billowing her robes.  
"What beautiful weather!" She cried joyfully, turning to her best friend Kat.  
  
"Not so good for the Quidditch Teams though."  
Chalondra fell silent. "Oh yes. Quidditch." Not too interested in the sport, (or any sport in particular), Chalondra soon forgot about the bad weather in Quidditch terms.  
  
On the other hand, Kat was a hardcore Quidditch fan.  
"So you're sure you don't want to come to the game today?" Kat pleaded for the 100th time. Chalondra sighed.  
"Yes, Kat, I'm sure. I really need to study for Herbology! You know that's my worst subject."  
"Oh yes, with an 87 average you're just terrible at it." Kat scoffed. Chalondra glared at her. "Come on, Chal! You need to relax once and a while, and get off that studying regime! Please come to the game with me, you might have fun!"  
"But Ravenclaw's not even playing! It's Slytherin against Hufflepuff."  
Kat shrugged. "Please?"  
Chalondra sighed. "Fine. But if I fail that test, you owe me."  
Kat smiled and patted Chalondra on the back.  
  
"Thanks, Girl. Now I won't be going alone."  
"Oh, come on, Tali and Yoyo would have gone with you."  
  
"Yea, but it wouldn't have been the same." They laughed and headed for the calm inside of Hogwarts Castle for dinner. **  
  
**  
  
"Chal! Kat!" Yoyo, the bubbly, hyper friend called to the two. Her actual name was a very difficult Chinese name to pronounce, so the other 3 had resolved in calling her Yoyo. Even the Professor's called her by that.  
  
"Yoyo!" Chal called back, laughing and waving. Her eyes wandered to Cho Chang, the girl who was-or _once_ was one of her friends. She could never tell; that girl was so hideously moody. Sometimes she would hang out with them all the time, and fit in perfectly. Other times she would scream and yell at them, and then stomp off and not talk to them for ages. Right now Cho was in one of her cranky, "I hate you" moods, so the other 3 completely ignored her.  
  
Tali sat quietly, reading one of her books. Chalondra joined her. It was only at these times Chalondra ever really talked; ever really acted normal. When she was surrounded by her friends. At other times, she was always quiet and antisocial.  
  
"Chal, look at that." Tali pointed disgustedly to the table next to theirs. The Slytherin table. Tali was a terribly judgmental person, and this at times was what made her so lovable.  
  
Chalondra narrowed her eyes as they slid over to the figure of Kadric, probably the worst thing next to Draco Malfoy.  
"Look at him, just smirking away. Probably making a snarky remark about someone in Ravenclaw." Tali growled. Her eyes quickly slid over to Chalondra, who blushed.  
Chalondra had always been the object of Kandric's teasings, although he rather enjoyed torturing everyone else. But he just never seemed to leave Chalondra alone.  
  
"Him? He's kinda cute." Yoyo bubbled, plopping down beside Tali and grabbing a chicken leg.  
  
"Yoyo!" Chal cried, shocked. "How can you say that, when he constantly torture's us Ravenclaws?" Yoyo shrugged.  
  
"He is." Before Tali and Chal could gang up on her, Donny slid down beside them all. Chal had to admit it, he was very handsome. But, she didn't "like" like him or anything. He was one of her closest friends. Though Kat couldn't take her eyes off him.  
  
"Hey you guys." He said with a smile, pushing his blonde hair away from his blue eyes. "Who're you rooting for in the Quidditch game tonight?"  
  
"Hufflepuff." The all said at the same time. But Yoyo kept abnormally quiet.  
"I wouldn't mind if Slytherin won."  
"WHAT?!" They all cried incredulously.  
Yoyo gave Chal "that look".  
  
"I dunno..." She fell silent. Tali chuckled.  
  
"What's this? Yoyo falling silent?" The others laughed, but Chalondra felt an odd queasiness in her stomach at the fact. This was weird.


	2. The Terrible Secret

"Uh-I need to go to the washroom. Yoyo-will you accompany me?" Chal tugged on her arm, and Yoyo unwillingly got up, a look of dread on her face.  
  
"I'll see you guys at the game!" Chalondra called, dragging her friend out the door.  
  
"Yoyo! What's up?" Chal asked, whispering closely to her mute friend. "You just went quiet-that's weird!"  
  
Yoyo stiffened. "Well-Chal-You see-"Yoyo blushed. "I kind of like Kadric."  
  
Everything stopped.  
  
"You-like-what?" Chal yelled. Yoyo looked at Chalondra, horrified.  
  
"Keep your voice down!" She cried. "Well, yes," Yoyo continued in a whisper. "He's just so cute! And maybe he only teases us because he likes us."  
  
Chalondra laughed hard. "Boy, he must be infatuated with me then." She hitched her book bag higher onto her shoulder.  
"I don't know how you can possibly like a Slytherin. They're slimy, loathsome gits who end up working for You-Know-Who anyway."  
  
Yoyo glared at her. "Just wait until the game, and you'll see how good of a Quidditch player he is!" She said shrilly.  
  
"You think that MATTERS, Yoyo?" Chalondra cried back, forgetting about the rare person walking around. "Do you think it really makes him a better person because he's GOOD at something? Good at a SPORT, for Gods sake's!" Chalondra stamped her foot in anger. "I have homework to do now-I actually care about something important-rather then a slimy Slytherin."  
  
Chalondra stormed off, leaving her friend standing there, stunned.  
  
"I told you because I thought you'd understand!" Yoyo called after her, fury shaking her voice.  
  
"Well, you should have been expecting this!" Chal called back. "I have a grudge against him that'll never go away!" She continued walking angrily, but ran into something solid before she could slam a door or something along those lines.  
  
"A grudge, eh? You wouldn't be talking about me, would you?" Chal moaned and pushed herself away from the boy.  
"Look, Kadric, the last thing I'd be talking about is you." She snarled. Kadric just laughed.  
  
"Oh-I'm sorry Mudblood. Didn't mean to puncture your holier-then-thou self-image."_Wrong thing to say, buddy. I'm in an angry mood, and you just called me a Mudblood and teased me about my brains. You're gonna get it.  
_

"Watch it, git, you're walking on a thin line there!" Chal cried. "I'm incredibly frustrated at the moment, I have a test to study for, and you just cursed at me with the name of Mudblood, and decided to tease me about my brains?" She glared up at him. "YOU'RE the only one who thinks you're better then everyone else, bastard!"  
  
Kadric frowned slightly. Chal breathed heavily, knowing it was rare for her to break out in an outburst.  
  
"And now you're going to pay." Quick as lightning she pulled out her wand and shot a curse at Kadric.  
  
_"Desembium!"_ She cried, a yellow jet of light hitting Kadric squarely in the stomach.  
  
"CHALONDRA!" She heard Yoyo scream.  
  
"That's for bugging me." Chal growled, glowering down on the crumpled figure of Kadric. With that she turned swiftly around and headed for the Ravenclaw Tower.


	3. Discovery

  
  
"CHAL!" A voice cried, slamming the dormitory door behind it. "You promised me you'd come to the game!"  
  
Chalondra looked up to see a red-faced, wind burned Kat.  
  
"Oh-gee Kat, I'm sorry! But I got in a fight with Yoyo, and I didn't feel like going to the game in such a mood-"_  
_  
Kat sighed. "Really, Chal. You still should have come anyway." She flopped down on the bed nearest to Chal. Chal just shook her head as she looked through the textbook.  
"It's more complicated then that."  
  
Kat just muttered. "I can't stay mad at you, it's too hard. But I want to know _why_ you two are mad." She sat up, erect and listening. "What happened?"  
  
Though Chal felt a bit uncomfortable telling Yoyo's secret, she told Kat all about their argument.**  
**   
"Ew! She likes a SLYTHERIN?" Chal shushed Kat.  
  
"And now she's all ticked at me." Kat just shrugged and fluffed her pillow.  
  
"Well, she should be ecstatic, Slytherin won."  
"What?!"  
"Yea, Hufflepuff lost because they were missing a cheerleader." She grinned at Chal.  
"Shut up Kat!" She cried, throwing her pillow squarely at her face.  
  
"Oof!" Kat shouted as the pillow hit her. "That's it, Girl, now you're going to get it." She ran around the room, grabbing the pillows from the other girls beds and threw them all at Chal.  
  
"Augh!" She cried, as she vanished under a mountain of pillows.  
  
It was later that night, and Chal still couldn't fall asleep. She heard Yoyo tiptoeing in later, as Tali had come in earlier. She turned her back toward the door, feeling Yoyo's gaze on her.  
Later on that night, Chal sat up. She was still sleep deprived, and resolved in going on a midnight walk.  
  
Grabbing her housecoat and slippers she tiptoed out of the dormitory and Ravenclaw Tower, down to the 6th Corridor.  
  
An open window let a breeze float in, and Chal decided to go sit on the roof of the castle for a while. Following the long staircase up to a trapdoor, Chal soon reached the chilly roof. But it was nice, compared to her stuffy bed. She walked around the small area of roof there was, when she heard fellow footsteps behind her. She froze.  
  
Reaching for her wand, she turned around and cried the same curse she had attacked Kadric with earlier.  
  
"Hey, HEY! Enough cursing me today!" The shadow quickly set up a shield and the spell died away.  
  
"Oh. What a lovely surprise." She said coldly, as Kadric walked out from the shadows.  
"What? You didn't miss me?" He said with a lopsided smile.  
  
"I was on holiday with you gone." She muttered, walking over to the northern part of the roof, looking down below her, where everything on the grounds seemed to belong to ants. Very tiny ants.  
  
She heard him walk closer. "Don't you dare touch me or push me off, because I swear I'll murder you."  
  
She heard a chortle. "I wouldn't come near you, don't worry about it."  
  
There was a long silence when a loon on the lake called out."What are you doing out here anyway?" Kadric finally asked.  
"I was just going to ask you that." Chalondra replied. "But to answer your question, I couldn't sleep, and I always come out here to think."  
  
She heard him come and rest his arms on the wall beside her, yet still a bit far off. "Same here." He answered.  
  
Chalondra subtly moved her eyes to look at him, when a shocking realization hit her.   
  
Kadric _was_ cute.  
  
With flyaway auburn hair, (if he grew it out it would look much better), his tanned skin and handsomely shaped face, and his muscled build and broad shoulders, he might even be classified in the dashing section. And his tall height made his seem strong and safe._What the heck is up with me? I'm starting to think my worst enemy is cute!! Let alone my friend likes him-or my former friend, however it works out._


	4. The Boiling Point

"What's with you?" He asked, looking at her. Chal immediately blushed at her staring. She glanced up to see his chocolate brown eyes looking back, speckled with a lighter brown…

"Nothing." She muttered, forcing herself to turn away. Darn it. Now everything was awkward.

"Hmm." Was all he said, looking back out to the landscape. "The grounds are beautiful, aren't they?" He muttered. Chal grinned.  
"What's that? A Slytherin actually caring about something? The fact disturbs my delicate heart." She gasped, placing her hands over her heart. Kadric just chuckled.

"All right then. I need to go in." With a wave, he descended the stairs.

_Great. My life just got 100 times harder to live in._ Chal thought, later on climbing down the stairs and into her bed.

"Chalondra-I-I wanted to say-" Chalondra turned around to see Yoyo standing awkwardly behind her the next morning in the Great Hall, looking down at her feet. Chalondra didn't even let her explain. Not after what she had felt last night.  
"Don't worry about it, Yoyo. I can't control you."  
Yoyo smiled shakily. "Friends again?"  
Chal hugged her. "For sure."

"CLASS!" Snape snapped, slamming the back door shut on his way in. He glared at them all, sending shivers down Chal's spine. He stood up at the front, crossing his arms and glaring down at everyone. Chal hated how they had to spend this class with the Slytherin's. Let alone her new realization a few nights ago, but now Yoyo was constantly glancing over at Kadric and sending giddy little notes to Chal with hearts on them.

Chal had to force herself not to rip them up in frustration and anger. Sure, it was okay for Yoyo to like him, but not _her_! Not Chalondra—that just wasn't what she did.

"Because my day hasn't been going well _at all_, I will be splitting you into partners..."

He glared down at them all, and Chal didn't think that was so bad. Why should she be bothered he had a hard day if he was pairing them up? She'd go with Kate for sure. Chalondra was a pro in potions, and Kate needed her help as much as possible.

"…with people from the opposite house."

Now she knew why this was so bad for them. She wouldn't be going with a friend. She'd be going with a slimy, lowly, You-Know-Who Supporter.

His lip curled at the horrified looks overtaking everyone's faces. "All right. Ms. Todd, with Mr. Jameson. Mr. Lindsay with Ms. Kiddle here, if she'd please STOP WRITING A NOTE!"

The Ravenclaw stopped and blushed while the Slytherin's laughed ruthlessly. What did they have to laugh about? They were stuck in the same stupid position as the Ravenclaw's.

"And Ms. Guarmagoz will go with Mr. Marsters, and…"

Chalondra was dumbstruck. Of all terrible, horrible, slimy and scaly things in the universe, she just _HAD _to be stuck with the one guy she was hoping to avoid for the rest of her life? After all, Yoyo liked him, _AND_ he was a Slytherin. A SLYTHERIN. Slytherin's and Ravenclaw's do not mix. It was like, the code of honor at Hogwarts.

Chalondra glumly collected her things and forced her feet to drag across the stone floor to where Kadric sat lazily, his chair propped on its back legs and his legs resting on the table, his hands laced behind his head as he casually watched her with a smirk on his face.

"What?" She snapped, sitting herself down beside him. She could feel his eyes drilling into the back of her head as he continued to sit there lazily while Snape paired people off.

"WHAT?" She asked a bit louder, setting her cauldron down a bit harder than she would have liked. She grabbed some more ingredients out of a bag and set them beside it with a bang as well. She was surprised no one was staring at her. Suddenly, the creaking of Kadric's chair coming back on all fours caused a shiver to run up her spine.

Suddenly, his head was right beside hers. Her body went rigid as he leaned in and whispered into her ear. His breath tickled the skin, and she forced herself to stop shivering.

"So, we can have a perfectly civil conversation alone under the stars, but we can't have the same surrounded by people?"

Chalondra went stiff. Oh god, that stupid _boy_!

"No." She said sharply, ducking her head down to grab something from her bag, but thankful it took it away from his annoyingly cute mouth whispering into her ear. She heard him chuckle softly and then get his things ready as well. There was silence as Snape yelled at the group some more, ordering them that if they failed this potion their mark would be failing this term.

_No problem_. Chalondra thought as the ingredients appeared on the board. _This is as simple as simple gets._

She glanced over at Kadric to see his forehead had a few more creases then normal, but she didn't take it into consideration.

With a heavy inward sigh, she realized the wartroot was on his side of the table.

"Can you please pass me the wartroot?" She asked coldly, making sure to keep her eyes on the cauldron. Kadric glanced over at her quickly, his eyes a bit wide.

Chalondra watched him carefully. "Wartroot. You know. The _plant_."

"Oh—oh…right…"

And Chalondra watched him with some confused amusement as his hand hovered over the ingredients near him, as if he were perplexed…unknowing.

_But he couldn't! Potions is a Slytherin class, duh…_

But she took that thought away when she felt something sticky and warm seep through her outstretched fingers.

"EUGH!" She shrieked, waving her hand frantically in the air. Something started to hiss, and Chalondra realized it was her own hand making that noise. With another yelp, not caring whether the whole class was watching or not, she buried her hand into the cauldron of still water. Instantly her hand cooled, and she let out a relieved sigh.

This bliss only lasted seconds, because soon the pain of burnt skin started to sink in again. And, as the class continued to watch her screaming, waving antics, Chalondra rounded on Kadric.

"WHAT DID YOU PASS TO ME?!" She yelled, eyes wide and flaring. She was a bit disturbed to see Kadric look almost—frightened? Embarrassed? No…couldn't be…

He shrugged. Chalondra fumed.

"WHAT. DID. YOU. PASS. TO. ME?!" She took a step over to him, ripping her hand out of the water and shoving it in his face.

"See that?! See the skin?! Yea. It's burnt. It's red, blistering, and bleeding. WARTROOT DOES NOT DO THAT!"

He was silent, and his eyes were squeezed shut as if he were trying to be somewhere else.

"Hey! Answer me!" She said, prodding him in the chest. She couldn't believe she was fighting with a taller, tougher, _Slytherin_ in front of everyone. But, hey, at least she was showing them something!

"I don't know what I passed to you." He whispered meekly. A guffaw was heard from somewhere in the room. Chalondra didn't know who it was, and didn't care. But Kadric seemed to, for he gave a nervous glance in the direction and had a look of complete sadness on his face. Chalondra had never seen an expression other than cocky attitude-ness, so this was definitely a surprise.

"You don't know?!" She held the vial of bubbling green liquid and shook it in front of his eyes, forcing him to look into the steamy glass. "You poured some of _this_ on my hand. _POURED_ it on my _HAND_!" Chalondra cried with something like annoyance.

"This—is Venomous Tentacula secretion from in their roots. It's _POISONOUS_. It's _CORROSIVE_." Chalondra sighed, slamming the vial back on the counter. It shook, but didn't break. Kadric was now looking at his feet, and Chalondra had no idea why.

"What are you so freaked out about?! I'm the one who's burnt, I'm the one who got stuck with a dumb potions partner!"

At those last words, Kadric's head shot up and he glared daggers at her, even causing Chalondra to take a step back. Now, instead of sadness and embarrassment, there was anger.

"Shut up." He muttered. Chalondra fell silent, turning back to her cauldron. And she didn't know why she had given up so fast. Probably because he was scary now. She wrapped her tie around her hand to keep it from becoming too bulbous, and began to chop up some wartroot she had grabbed herself.

The class soon began to grow back into a chattering, giggling center. Except for Chal and Kadric, who were dead silent and dead angry at each other. Chal had no idea why _he_ was so angry. After all, _she_ was the one in pain!

"All right class, bring up your bottles." Snape had re-entered the classroom, and Chalondra grabbed for a vial before Kadric could.

"I'll get the potion." She hissed at him, eyes narrowed. "You might hand in the wrong thing and it might end up _killing_ him."

"Too bad I couldn't do the same to _YOU_." He growled in her face. With that he grabbed his bag, swung it over his shoulder forcefully, and swiftly strode out of the classroom with other students. Chalondra was left there, standing alone, holding an empty vial and staring out at the door.

Why was she so hyped up? So what if Kadric was mad? He hated her already, so why was this so different?

_Because you actually did something to hurt his feelings. That's different then before._

_But what did I do?_

_Why don't you go ask him?_

The last student left the room, and Chalondra was still standing there, thinking, fretting, and worrying—as usual.

And then a cough snapped her back to reality.

"Ms. Guarmagoz—are you actually going to hand _in_ your potion?"


	5. Of Apologies and Failing Subjects

It was suppertime in the Great Hall, but Chalondra could barely eat more than a nibble of chicken. It was that _accursed_ Kadric and his stupid mind games. He hadn't shown up for supper, and she hadn't seen him around the school like usual. And it was really unnerving, knowing she had caused him to commit suicide or something, for all she knew.

He was just hoping for her to feel guilty, probably. Well, if that was what he wanted, it was working.

_But I hate him! HATE. HIM. How can I possibly care?_

"Chal? CHAL!" Yoyo's high-pitched voice brought her back to the Great Hall with a _thump_.

"Huh?" She looked over at her friends, bewildered. The three others giggled, even Tali.

"What?" Snapped Chal, suddenly feeling very violated without knowing why or how.

"We just heard from—from Danny—" Kate blushed as she said this "that you know that Slytherin you were stuck with? Kadric what's his face? Well, he _reeks_ in potions!"

They burst into giggles, even Yoyo.

_She can't truly like him if she laughs at his loser qualities._ Chal thought, and then felt very mean. After all, she too had her pathetic subject.

"How d'you know?" Chal asked, suddenly losing her appetite.

"Well, Danny said he overheard the Slytherin behind him saying Kadric was down in Snape's dungeon room thing, trying to get better at potions." Kate grinned at Chal. "Looks like you worked him over hard in class today, so everyone in Slytherin was teasing him."

"He _SO_ deserves it!" Yoyo put in. Chal gave her a questioning, annoyed sort of look. She just shrugged helplessly, and Chal let out a sigh.

_Great. I got him teased? I know how THAT feels, and it's not pretty…_

"Chal? Don't you think it's _funny_?" Tali asked suddenly. Chal looked over at her silent friend, alarmed.

"Huh? Oh…yea…hilarious…" She gave them a weak smile. "Look, guys, I _really_ need to go study for that Herbology test…"

"But we were gonna have a game of wizard's chess!" Kate said with a slight pout on her face. Chalondra just kind of shrugged.

"Sorry Kate, but I'm freakishly attached to my schoolwork." She ducked down, grabbed her bag, and then stood up. "See ya later guys." She tromped out of the Great Hall, grumbling to herself for being so stupid.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid…_

But she was smart enough to know that apologies came before studies.

Kadric sat in a desk in the potions room, thoroughly relieved that Snape wasn't here. If it was a teacher he hated, it was Snape. All because he favored _Malfoy_, favored the _good_ potion-makers, what a pompous, big-mouth, greasy haired little—

The creaking of the large metal door caused him to nearly hit the roof with his head. He whirled around, eyes wide. "Who the—"

There, standing in the doorway, was that Ravenclaw girl. The girl that started up all the teasings again. Just when he thought they'd be able to handle it that he wasn't perfect at _everything_, and then she comes along and blows up in his face. And what did he do? _STAND THERE_. He felt stupid enough already, let alone her lecturing him in front of everyone. And did he always have to turn into a bloody _lamb_ everytime someone brought up his potions disability?!

"Whaddya want?" He asked grouchily, turning around, seating himself in a chair and flipping through the potions book that lay flat in front of him.

He didn't hear her come closer. Kadric guessed she was still in the door. Why couldn't she just _leave_? He didn't want another lecture about how he nearly burned her whole hand off…not that it would've been a bad thing…

She was completely silent. Okay, Kadric had never known silence to be so _irritating._

"I'm not going to end up biting you."

_Oh shoot, she's going to have the perfect comeback…_

"Maybe not, but you'll probably end up _burning_ me."

He sighed. Yea, he'd gotten that one on the dot. "Okay, okay, you beat me." He turned around with aforced smile on his face. "Now, will you tell me what you want and then get out of my sight? You're burning my retina's."

_Ouch. Cold_. He thought, yet with some grim pleasure.

She humphed and started to walk slowly up the aisle. He noticed her hand was still wrapped in a stupid Ravenclaw tie. Stupid colors, stupid _meaning_, stupid _smartness_ in every bloody subject…

Wow, his mind seemed to drift a lot.

"I heard about the-er-not so nice antics of your fellow Slytherin's."

He snorted in disgust as he turned back around so he didn't have to look at her blushing, genius head that probably had a brain the size of Europe in it…

"You know, I could care less if you called them selfish little gits who have no life of their own and tease other people for no reason whatsoever."

Chalondra gave something that resembled a giggle…or a chuckle. Then he heard her sitting down beside him. But he still wouldn't look at the person who had just made him the laughing stock of the Slytherin's for years to come.

"Sounds almost like what you did to me, hm?"

Kadric felt his stomach plummet to new depths. Okay, so he hadn't been expecting _that_…

"That was all in good fun." He decided firmly, knowing he had just sounded like some fancy-pants snobby rich freak.

"Well it wasn't fun for me."

Silence.

"Okay, okay, I'll stop teasing you. Will you just _go_ now?!"

But she didn't leave. Instead, she sat there in her chair, and he knew she was trying to see what he was reading. Kadric was like that…it was almost like he had eyes in the back of his head, which would be kind of gross, so he never liked to bring up a thought like that.

"What're you looking at?" She finally asked.

"A book." He snapped.

"What book?"

"One you wouldn't _need_."

"And why _not_?" She asked in a sort of huffy tone.

"Because you've already read the whole library, where I got this."

"That's not what I meant."

"All right, it's a book on _potions._ Yea, potions, because you know what?!" He whirled around to glare at her. "I stink at it! Yea! I'm bloody terrible at potions, and I can't make one for a single sickle, _OKAY_?!"

Chalondra bit her bottom lip, almost as if she were trying hard not to laugh.

"It's not funny." Kadric growled, slamming his hand down on the book as he turned another page so forcefully it ripping the paper. And just to exasperate him even more, Chalondra began to 'tsk tsk' him.

"What is so funny?!" Kadric asked, really rather tired of her stupid mind games. "Oh—right. You think it's just high-LARIOUS that I can't make a potion, eh? Because it's a 'Slytherin subject'? Well, you're a biased little _freak_ if you think that."

Chalondra sucked in some air, and Kadric knew he had gone just a wee bit too far.

"Actually, I think I would know a little something about being teased because of biased thoughts."

Kadric suddenly thought about all the times he had called her snobby little genius, or said her brain was huge, or that she knew everything, or that she had read the whole library…

And this little statement made a sort of little connection between the two. Both had been teased due to the thoughts and biased opinions of others. This was the one think that, oddly enough, calmed Kadric down enough to speak properly.

"So what were you laughing about?"

"That you were getting yourself so worked up over a little thing that you shouldn't even care about."

"I'm nearly _failing_ potions! Of course I'm going to care!"

Chalondra just shook her head in disappointment, and Kadric just noticed how creepily glossy it was. Like, glossy that he always saw in those stupid little ads about 'the best shampoo potion ever' and all that junk.

"I'm just saying…if you calm down and learn one step at a time, it'll be easier for you."

Kadric snorted. Easier? Since when had anything in his life gotten _easier_? "Sorry Ravenclaw, but it just doesn't work like that."

There was a silence, in which Kadric flipped through the book, feeling his brain nearly explode with all the information it was processing. Gillyweed? Three quarters of a cup of chopped flobberworm? And since when did they rip hairs off of unicorn's to stick in a useless potion?!

"I'm sorry."

Kadric continued to flip through the book, until the meaning of the words hit him full-force in the face. He turned to face Chalondra, who was playing with the tie that secured her burnt up hand.

"Huh?"

_Oh, very intelligent_. His mind chided.

"I'm sorry about getting you teased by the Slytherin's, and I'm sorry that I totally freaked out in class."

Kadric just shrugged, when deep down he was in total shock. No one had ever apologized to him before…only because everyone thought of him as the _cool_ one. The one without a heart that didn't have any feelings of the sort.

"Okay, whatever." He drawled, flipping some more pages.

"Well…um…that's all I really had to say." He glanced over to see her getting out of the chair and pushing it back into the desk. "And you're not the only one who has a bad subject."

Kadric couldn't help but let out a fake sort of chuckle. "Are you saying _you_ have a screwy subject?"

He saw a frown grow on her already blushing face as he continued to smirk up at her. Oh, yes, getting people angry was so fun…

"I don't think you deserve to know." She sniffed, whirling around and walking down the aisle.

"Aw, are you leaving the fun already?" Kadric asked after her, but she didn't answer, just continued towards the door. He sighed heavily, that stupid thing called a conscious chiding him for a being an immoral moran.

"Hey—Chalondra!" He called after her, realizing how stupid her name sounded when it came out of his mouth. She would probably take it offensively. The girl stopped and turned around, a curious expression on her face.

"What?"

"I suggest you have that hand looked at by Madame Pomfry." He said with a smirk. "Wouldn't want it to mutate now, would we?"

Chalondra just blushed once more. "Who _knows_ what was in that vial." She said, painfully reminding him of the moment where his brain had decided to fizz out on him.

But then—she smiled. _Smiled_. After he had been an insufferable little jerk her whole time at Hogwarts.

"But thanks, Slytherin—it's good to know you care."

And with those words, she left the dungeon, closing the door behind her, and leaving a shocked-into-silence Kadric.

And then his brain started to whirr and click furiously, until his mouth uttered words he knew were already too late to catch up with her.

"I do _NOT_ care, you bloody _genius_!"


	6. Plant Gone Mad

Chalondra breathed in the heavy perfumed air of greenhouse number three. Even though she wasn't so great at the subject, she loved coming into the greenhouse. Though it was humid, and sometimes it seemed like it was hard to breathe, she loved the smell of soil and water and plants all mixed into one exotic scent.

"All right, all right, everyone settle down." Plump Professor Sprout came in from the back room, where some plant was sending out a loud screeching howl. The class clamped their hands to their ears, and Professor Sprout waved a gloved hand at them. "It's all right, just the baby Mandrakes…" She had put on earmuffs and was now securely locking the door. The screeching now only sounded like some wild dog scraping that door. Everyone gave a relieved sigh and sat down at the tables where all sorts of plants stood in their way.

"Today class, we will be examining the Fanged Geranium."

"Er-Professor Sprout?" A plump girl by the name if Emilia Johnson had raised her hand.

"Yes?" Sprout asked while busying herself collecting the geraniums from the desk behind her.

"We looked at those in 5th year. They were on our O.W.L's—"

"Yes, yes, I know." Sprout muttered something about 'insolence.' "But it doesn't matter. Okay everyone, come pick a plant!"

As Chalondra went up with the other Ravenclaws (thank goodness it was just them and no Slytherin's), Sprout coughed from behind her. "Chalondra, I realize that you're unhappy with your Herbology mark?"

Chalondra nodded slowly, wondering what was going on inside of her teacher's head.

"Well, come here at the end of the school day. I've got something that should help you."

Chalondra gave her a grin and a 'thank you', wondering all the while what it could be. A potion? A master at Herbology that would teach her the arts of the subject?

As she grabbed her geranium (which was wildly swinging around and looking for something to bite), Chalondra thought that it wouldn't be too bad, having someone else other than Sprout teaching her.

As long as they knew what they were doing.

xxx

Kadric hummed as he grabbed his broom from the shed outside of the school. He was terribly glad school was over today. No potions, thank the Lord. In fact, there had been Herbology, which was quite nice.

_Not just quite. It was really nice._ Kadric thought, checking over his broom. Yes, it was true. Kadric, though not the best in potions, was _awesome_ in Herbology. Even when he got one hundred percent he knew he deserved more. After all, it came to him in such a breeze.

But there was a bad side to it. If the Slytherin's didn't get enough out of teasing him for being terrible in potions, they teased him for excelling in Herbology. They were never happy with what he did. But he didn't really care. Well, he did, but he wasn't about to stop doing his best in Herbology just to stop being teased. He'd be out getting a good job while those bums were working for Voldemort.

"Marsters!" Kadric whirled around, about to tell Sandry why he was late coming to practice on the team. But it wasn't Sandry, Slytherin Chaser. It was Professor Sprout.

_How could I possibly think it was Sandry!_ He asked himself, quickly running over to his Herbology teacher.

"Yea Professor Sprout?" He asked, clutching his broom. Kadric quickly checked his watch. He didn't want to be any later for practice…

"No practice for you today Mr. Marsters."

His jaw dropped. Not play Quidditch today? Not practice? He needed to become a better beater, all though he was already excellent…

"There are more pressing matters. Follow me and I'll explain."

Kadric still stood there, dumbfounded for a few moments before he snapped out of it and ran after his teacher. "But Professor, the Coach—"

"Knows that I'm taking you out of practice today."

_Great._ Kadric thought dully. _Now he'll join in on teasing me. 'Sprout wanted him to help her plants grow a bit larger!' or something stupid like that…_

"Now, Mr. Marsters, you know I'm proud of your excellent Herbology mark, correct?"

Kadric glowed under this compliment. "Sure."

"Well, there are some people who desperately want a mark like yours." Sprout was starting to slow her pace, and Kadric did as well. It looked like she was troubled.

"Okay…and?" Kadric prompted her.

"Oh yes. And I thought it might be nice if you could help a student out."

Kadric felt his stomach turn over. Help someone? Oh no! That'd be even worse! Kadric the Teacher or Professor in Training. He would be teased for years to come, even though it was his last year at Hogwarts.

"But Professor, I can't possibly—"

"Of course, if you help me you'll get no detentions for two months and a daily amount of 15 points to your homeroom."

Kadric immediately shut his mouth. "I think I can handle it." He managed meekly. There. The mention of no detentions and helping his house get the house cup had definitely changed his mind. Teachers knew how to persuade him. If he helped get points, they couldn't _possibly_ tease him! Especially if he kept it a secret.

The two had reached the greenhouse. Sprout turned to look him in the eye. "Now Kadric, you know you can't back out now, right? You know you _are_ going to help this person learn Herbology until they are comfortable?"

He looked down at his teacher (yes down), and nodded slowly. "Yea…"

"All right." Sprout walked in and turned the corner and began mumbling to someone. She then poked her head around the corner. "Come in, Mr. Marsters."

xxx

"Chalondra, meet your new tutor, Kadric!" Sprout clapped her hands together happily as Kadric turned the corner. Both of them stared at each other, mouths open wide and eyes bulging in shock.

Sprout smiled. "Yes, yes, please contain your excitement. Now, Kadric, you and Chalondra will come here twice a week, preferably Tuesdays and Thursdays, for an hour each. Extra days would also be helpful. Remember to wait until the school day is over, or else you may miss a class. Have fun with your first lesson!" Sprout winked and the exited the room.

Now it was completely silent. Chalondra whirled around and set her books down on the desk—hard. Her hands were shaking, she realized. Why did Kadric have to tutor her? HER? HIM. It was too unreal. Too stupid. Something would have to be changed…

"So." Kadric said, giving her a smirk and sliding into the chair beside her. "Chalondra, Genius of Hogwarts, is having difficulty with a subject."

Chalondra glowered at him. "You're one to talk." She said, sitting down as well. He lifted his hands up in an apologetic type of way though she knew he wasn't sorry in the least.

"Hey, I'm not the one who got the mark as a genius! For me, failing a class isn't that big a of a deal."

"You were singing a completely different tune yesterday." Chalondra reminded him, and Kadric realized it was true. He shrugged.

"Things change."

Chalondra nodded. "This'll have to change too."

Kadric shrugged. "Why?" Clearly he wanted the two months free detention and points terribly. But Chalondra didn't need to know that.

"Because I won't be able to stand you teasing me around every corner! I can't tell you what I'm having trouble with because I'll be afraid you'll laugh out loud! I'll just fail Herbology." She muttered miserably.

"Okay, okay, I won't tease you. And hey, I seriously doubt you're near failing."

Chalondra shrugged.

"What are you getting? Ninety? Ninety-one?" He questioned in a mock serious tone. Chalondra rolled her eyes.

"An eighty."

"EIGHTY!" Kadric stood up, a look of shock in his eyes. "Dear Lord Woman! Get out of my sight this instant! That's—shocking!"

Chalondra couldn't help but let out a feeble grin. "And what are you getting in potions? Sixty? Seventy?"

Kadric sat back down abruptly at her question. "Er-well-" He ran a hand through his hair nervously. "Look, it's not potions, this is Herbology. So let's talk Herbology and get it over with."

"I thought you _wanted_ to do it." Chalondra said, grinning. He shrugged.

"I would if I were with someone else."

Chalondra immediately threw the textbook at him. He yelled and held up his arms to soften the blow of the thick book.

"You _said_ you wouldn't tease me!" Chalondra felt very angry all of a sudden, and Kadric nodded slowly.

"All right, all right, calm down…" He threw the textbook on the table. "No need to freak out."

Chalondra just 'hmphed' and started flipping through the book. "I don't know _why_ I'm stuck with you."

"Because I'm utterly gorgeous and even teachers such as Sprout fall for my charms and good looks." He rested his elbow on the table and grinned at her. Chalondra snorted.

"Please."

_Well_. Kadric thought. _Perhaps I was mistaken all these years._

"Let's just make this hour over with, all right?" He looked through her notes. "What're you having trouble with?"

"The properties of a Flitterbloom. I know they look like Devil's Snare, but other than that…"

"Well, they're not deathly, first of all." Kadric said, realizing this would be easy. All he did was recite the notes in his head. "They're perfectly harmless. But it can be tricky, because people often use Devil's Snare as Flitterbloom to get dirty deeds done." He shrugged. "All you really have to know is that it won't hurt you."

Chalondra added this to her list of notes. "Okay…"

Kadric glanced down. "Why do you always write notes?"

Chalondra looked up. "Huh?"

"Why do you always write notes?" He repeated. "I mean, don't you think hands on experience is better?"

Chalondra shrugged. "I've never really thought about it. I write notes for everything."

"Come on, you're a student not a secretary." Kadric joked. "Come on. Sprout has some Flitterbloom in the back, I'll show you it."

"But—But it could be Devil's Snare!" Chalondra called.

Kadric was already up and heading to the back. "Pshaw." He said, turning around to face her. "Are you too scared for a little one-on-one with a stupid plant?"

Chalondra hesitated. She hated going near plants that _could_ kill her. After all, it could very well be Devil's Snare! Kadric didn't know _everything_.

But then again, she really wanted to get better at Herbology. But notes had ALWAYS helped her!

_Not in this subject_. A voice said in her mind. Chalondra grudgingly agreed. "Fine. "Just hurry up, plants like that make me nervous."

Kadric grinned and led her down a narrow hallway into a large room. Something moaned from the back, and other plants twittered and swayed. Ones leaf started to each out for Chalondra's shoulder, but Kadric slapped it back. "You have to be pretty bossy with the plants back here." He said, giving her a smirk. "Come on."

"How come you know so much about them?" Chalondra asked, inching away from a plant that almost seemed to be sniffing the air for meat.

"Oh, Sprout lets me back here a lot." He said, shrugging.

Chalondra just gaped at him. "Wow. You must be _really_ good at Herbology!"

Kadric let out another shrug. "Okay. Here it is. Flitterbloom." Kadric stuck his hand out to the plant, palm down. Chalondra glanced at warily, occasionally looking at the other plants surrounding her. Despite the wonderful smell of the greenhouse, this part of it sounded like a zoo: not to mention the plants acted like wild animals.

The plants vines slowly started to creep up Kadric's hand. He just grinned nonchalantly as Chalondra let out a little gasp. "It's going to kill you!" She hissed viciously, but Kadric just snorted as more vines started to wrap around his arm.

"It's just huggin' me, no need to—WHOAA!" He let out a strangled sort of gasp as the plants hold on his arm tightened. It started to push against his flesh so hard, the parts you could see were turning purple. But he stayed calm, only his wide eyes showed fear.

"It's—It's okay…you just gotta be rough with it—" He grunted and pulled at the vines, but they paid no attention. More were starting to creep towards his legs, and one was already slithering up his shoulder. Chalondra let out a little scream.

"Kadric! One's by your head!" But he couldn't do anything about it, because now both of his arms were wrapped tightly together. One slithered over his mouth and around his head so he wouldn't make any noise.

Chalondra only stared with horror until Kadric mumbled something that sounded like it would have been shouted if not for the vine. Immediately she found her wand grasped in her hand. "Okay…okay…"

She didn't know if this was actually Devil's Snare, or just a Flitterbloom gone mad. She had no clue.

"I—I—" Something 'dinged' in her mind, and a knowing expression took over her face. But she couldn't waste time. Already Kadric was slowly starting to kneel, his eyes were closing…

"INCENDIO!" Chalondra cried, pointing her wand at the plant. It let out a little shriek and some of the vines pulled back as a shot of blue flame erupted from the end of her wand. She tried again. "INCENDIO!" It let out a hiss this time, and more vines were leaving Kadric's body, which was now lying on the floor. He let out a gasp for air as one of the vines unwillingly left his face. Chalondra repeated the spell over and over until the plant was shriveled up inside of its pot, muttering to itself.

Chalondra let out a shaky grin. "I did it." She whispered, pulling some hair away from her sweaty face.

Something grunted. Alarmed, Chal looked down to see Kadric grabbing onto the table for support. His clothes were dirty from the dirt floor, and his hair was askew. His robes were rumpled and his skin had pressure marks from where the vines had strangled his skin.

Chalondra looked at him tentively, afraid he might burst out sobbing or something.

Instead, he gave a relieved sort of sigh. "Well. That was fun, wasn't it?" He asked with a charming smile.

Chalondra couldn't help but roll her eyes in disgust.


	7. Didn't Mean a Thing

"Chalondra, where were you Tuesday afternoon?"

"Tuesday?" Chalondra asked hurriedly, mind buzzing with terrible alibis.

"Yea, we couldn't find you…" Kate's voice drifted off. The two were walking in from Care of Magical Creatures, when Kate had suddenly decided to become a detective.

"How come you wanted me?" Chal asked, stalling for time so she could think up a good excuse. She was supposed to have things like this _planned_! Stupid Kadric and his homework plan for her, it took up most of her time…

On Tuesday, their first lesson, Kadric had assigned Chalondra to come to Greenhouse One every afternoon and work with the plants he assigned her. It took up lots of time, but it was effective.

It was Thursday, and Chalondra was, well, _sort of_ looking forward to seeing Kadric.

"Because we were going to study together for that Defense Against the Dark Arts quiz today, remember?"

"WHAT!" Chalondra cried out, nearly dropping her books. Two nearby Slytherin's chuckled, but Kate's glare silenced them.

"Yea. A quiz is today. You mean you didn't remember!" Kate gasped in mock shock. "Chalondra! I never would have _thought_…"

"You shut up." Chalondra said, frowning with worry. _I'm going to fail it; I'm going to fail it. Stupid, STUPID Kadric…but at least it distracted Kate from prodding me about where I was. _

Just then, the bell chimed. It was time for Defense Against the Dark Arts. Just as the two were hurrying through the front doors, Chalondra spotted a familiar head; its body adorned in green Slytherin robes.

"Hey, Ka—" She stopped herself from yelling anymore. Kadric had turned his head ever so slightly in her direction and sent her a murderous glare. Chalondra willingly closed her mouth, remembering that…well…Herbology wasn't the manliest lesson ever. She could pay Kadric back _so_ easily for all the years he had teased her…but she wouldn't. Not to mention he'd get teased for tutoring a _Ravenclaw _in _Herbology_.

Stupid conscience, she thought dully, climbing the stairs behind Kate, who, luckily, hadn't heard or seen a thing. As the two walked into the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, Chalondra slid beside Yoyo, who had been motioning her over. Chal didn't talk to her friend, which was probably rude, but she was busier chewing the end of her quill nervously and wondering if she'd read what she needed to know by any freakishly lucky chance.

The sound of rustling parchment caused Chal to look down. A folded note lay underneath her ink jar. She looked up to make sure no one was watching her, and then slid it out. She unfolded it in her lap quickly and scanned the writing.

_Cee,_

_Please don't be mad at me for the other day. I know I shouldn't have laughed at Kadric, but I can't let those guys know I like him! Imagine how much they'd tease me. And, well, I'm not really proud of it myself. I know you thought it was disgusting of me, and I agree. Sorry again._

_PS: Heard any news on him? Know who he likes?_

_-Y_

Chal risked a glance at her friend, who was busying herself with her newly acquired test sheet. Chal moaned as hers came, and slipped the note into her pocket. She'd have to answer it later. She flipped it over, scribbled her name, and glanced at the first question.

_What is the difference in powers found in a female vampire and a male vampire?_

Chal grinned slowly. This wouldn't be _so_ hard. Vampires just happened to be one of her favorite things. She could make it. She could.

…………

Defense Against the Dark Arts was the last class of the day. Chalondra hadn't had time to answer Yoyo's note, and she hoped that her friend didn't think Chal hated her, because she most certainly did not. Who could after an apology like that? And besides, it's not like she would take any dislike towards Kadric personally. Why should she? She shouldn't, her mind told her as she strode furtively towards the greenhouses. Chalondra didn't like Kadric – she _couldn't_. Chalondra couldn't possibly take Yoyo's crush. That was an insult to her best friend. So she decided to just brush it off and think it was a momentary girl infatuation. She didn't usually have those, (Chal didn't often have time for boys), she wasn't surprised she found herself slightly drawn to him. He was the only boy to talk to her for a long time, even if their conversation was forced through tutoring.

"What are you doing standing there? Waiting for the sky to fall?" Kadric chuckled at his own joke, striding over to Chalondra from the shadows between Greenhouse One and Two.

"H-Huh?" Chalondra managed, proud of herself.

"You were just standing there, kind of staring into nothing. A bit creepy, but you'll survive."

"I'LL survive? I don't think there's anything wrong with thinking things through."

"Of course not. After all, it's _fun_ to think in the freezing cold, letting your tutor die of pneumonia! It's the latest craze!" He gave Chalondra a cocky smirk, and Chal felt like punching in his nose.

"Funny," was all she managed, hoping she sounded unenthused instead of slightly amused.

"I thought so," Kadric answered, grabbing a ring of three keys from his pocket. He stuck a gold one into Greenhouse Three.

"Wow! She gave you the _keys_ to the greenhouses?" Chalondra asked, a bit jealous. She never got treatment like that, and she was the – the _genius_ of the school! Sure, taking it a bit far, but still…

"Mhm," he muttered, barely listening. "Okay, I think I have an idea of what to do today. Go in." He bowed low and held the door open for her. Chalondra almost grinned as she walked up to the door. Once and a while, he _could_ be a gentleme—

"KADRIC!" She shrieked, jumping back. Just as she were about to walk through the entrance, Kadric had slammed the door shut in front of her, the swinging door grazing her face. "WHAT DID YOU DO THAT FOR! THAT WASN'T FUNNY! THAT WAS CHILDISH!"

Kadric looked like he was about to burst. His face was slightly red, and he was openly guffawing, kneeling on the cobbled stone. Chalondra glared down at him, hands on her hips. "Would it hurt you to be a gentlemen once and a while?" She glared daggers at him when he managed to look up.

Kadric bit his lip. "Yes Ma'am, I'm afraid it would. And I know you wouldn't want me to get hurt. You'd be sad without me," he said with a poor, lost soul kind of look on his face. Chalondra knew he was trying to irritate her, she knew he was trying to get her to say she liked him just for kicks, she knew he was baiting her…so she did the one thing that got her anger out – she kicked him. Right in the ribs.

The boy's body, which had just been kneeling, was now fallen onto the ground. "Good God, Chalondra! What'd you do that for? Geez, you keep hurting me and hurting me…"

"If you don't get up and tutor me, I'll hurt you _more_," Chalondra growled. "I'm sick of you messing with me. Just teach me, I'll learn, and we'll get out of here. It's only the second lesson and I'm _sick_ of looking at your face already!"

Wow. That felt good. Chalondra marched into the greenhouse, slamming the poor, wooden screen door behind her. Sure, she thought he was handsome, sure, she thought he could be funny, but he was the most _annoying_, most _hurtful_ and _stupid_ boy she had ever met!

"Hey…what's this?" Kadric's voice asked outside the door. Chalondra set her books on the table hesitantly. She almost went outside to go see what he was looking at, but decided against it. It was probably another trick to get her to jump or scream or something.

"_Cee_," he began to say, and Chalondra felt her blood run cold. She patted her pocket anxiously, only to discover Yoyo's note was gone.

"Damn, damn, damn!" Chalondra cried under her breath, frozen with shock and horror. Kadric continued to read off the letter.

"_Please don't be mad at me for the other day. I know I shouldn't have laughed at Kadric,_" he paused. "Hmm, that's me…I was laughed at? How come? Hmph," he coughed and started again, and all Chalondra could was listen with horror. "_But I can't let those guys know I like him! Imagine how much they'd tease me. And, well, I'm not really proud of it myself. I know you thought it was disgusting of me, and I agree. Sorry again. PS…heard any news on him? Know who he likes? Y._"

Chalondra's knuckles were white from gripping onto the chair to keep from falling. Great. She had just let her friends ultimate secret out to the guy she _liked_! Now he'd tease her, and she'd cry, and she'd blame Chal for telling him when Kadric would hint, and Chal would say the note fell, Yoyo wouldn't believe her…

Before she could stop herself, Chalondra was outside the door, glaring at Kadric and screaming some not-so-nice words at him in Spanish, and ripping the notes to shreds.

"¡Cómo atrévasele? ¡Puerco! ¡Tirón! ¡Perdedor! ¡Idiota! ¡Maldiga! ¡Maldiga!"

All Kadric was doing was staring at her, his eyes slightly round. He was now standing upright so he was taller than Chalondra again, but it's always scary to hear someone's voice go hoarse from screaming at you in a different language.

"Chalondra! Speak a language I _understand_," he said calmly, smirking a little.

"Ohhhh, a language you understand, huh?" She said quietly, and she knew Kadric was a little intimated. Good. "I'll speak a language you understand. I'll – I'll – I'll –"

But she couldn't finish her ranting. She didn't have the chance. Kadric had swooped down on her and kissed her smack dab on the lips. Chalondra's eyes widened in shock, and she hurriedly stepped away from him. But this time, she was speechless.

Kadric looked quite pleased with himself. "Well, I had to shut you up some how, right?" He laced his fingers lazily behind his head. "After all, I didn't want you to hurt me again. Or start speaking in that weird voodoo language. Kinda weird, really—"

SLAP!

Chalondra had taken one swift step towards Kadric, summed up all her power, and slapped him hard on the cheek. So hard, in fact, his head did the corny thing where it swung to one side. He moaned. "What did I do _this_ time?"

Chalondra spluttered at him. "What did you do this time? WHAT DID YOU DO THIS TIME?" She chuckled darkly, her whole body trembling. "Ohhhh…that's a new one. 'What did I do this time?' I give up, Kadric. You're just as slimy as I thought you were." Chalondra walked swiftly past Kadric without saying a word, her whole face a stony mask. She grabbed her books, and that's when she realized her body was shaking. She shook it off, walking across the greenhouse floor and past Kadric. He hadn't moved. He had just been standing there, a confused sort of smile on his face. As Chalondra was walking further and further away, she heard him yell,

"Hey, who's 'Y', anyway? I like to know who my ladies are!" Chalondra didn't answer. She was shaking with fury. She wanted to go back and give him another good, hard, slap, and other physical abusive movements. She just wanted him to _die_.

He kissed her. He kissed her. Any other girl would have swooned, even Tali or Kate, and especially Yoyo. But with Chalondra it was different. She didn't hate him because he _had_ kissed her. She didn't hate him for taking away her first kiss. She didn't hate him for his reasons to kiss her, namely for shutting her up.

She hated him for the kiss…because she had liked it. Chalondra, the brainiac Ravenclaw, had liked a kiss given by Kadric, Slytherin Bully.

Something was up with Chalondra lately.

…………

Why did I do it? Kadric asked himself numbly, kicking at the bits of grass leaking out of the cobblestone paths. Why did I kiss her? He had been asking this question over and over for the past hour or so. He knew he must have ruined her life, and usually this wouldn't bother him. But considering he had actually – well – kissed her changed everything.

It was okay to randomly kiss Slytherin girls – they would just swoon and it would be okay. Friends would laugh, there'd be a fling, and he would dump them for another girl. It was almost like an assembly line. But this time it was different. The kiss had actually been meant for shutting her up. Kadric _really_ didn't want to get hurt again, (which had backfired), and he _really_ didn't want to get swore at in Spanish. That had worked out, but something worse had happened. Chalondra hated him even more, and he really couldn't understand why it _bothered_ him so much.

"Grow up," he muttered to himself, turning to the greenhouse and locking it up tightly. "Look on the bright side – at least you don't have to tutor her anymore." He chuckled slightly, but realized that wasn't very comforting at all, even thought it was only their second class and he hadn't really had to work yet.

"I hope she didn't take the kiss offensively. Then again, we're supposed enemies, so of course it was a little weird. But I can't hit a girl to shut her up! That's _too_ evil…" Kadric began to talk out loud to comfort himself.

"I really didn't mean for it to hurt her so much. Man, why do I even _care_? I'm a Slytherin for Pete's Sake, things like this don't bother me! But…that kiss did. Probably because it felt – different. It wasn't like kissing a rock or anything. Okay, actually it was because she was frozen with shock and probably hate, but it was still different. Augh, I can't like a kiss with a Ravenclaw. Especially Chalondra. Why did she even have that note? Her friend likes me? Which friend? Augh! I've gotta make this right…"

Kadric had now reached the main doors. He hadn't even got his two months of free detention worth yet! No, he needed to get Chalondra back for tutoring, so he could get points and get no detentions. Not to mention Sprout would be angry. What would Kadric say?

_I took advantage of her, Professor._

No, he'd have to fix things. For school. For his marks. For his social status – everything.

_Are you sure it's not just because you want to see Chalondra?_ A voice asked in his head. Kadric scowled.

_God, no!_ His voice answered. _I think she's semi-nice, but she's not someone I go for. It was a pathetic, shut up you talk too much kiss, and not a lovey-dovey kiss! Girls take things to seriously. But I still need to talk to her. Augh._

He walked slowly to the Slytherin dormitories, deciding it was best to go get an early sleep and think out his plan to tutor Chalondra again.

In two days, his life, and Chalondra's, had both gotten much more interesting.

**A/N**: GASP. They kissed. But it wasn't real. Doesn't really count, because Chal didn't exactly kiss him back. Haha. Sunny, this one's for you all the way in India! Hope you had fun reading it!


	8. Deals are Done and Apologies Made Again

**A/N**: This one is for Sunny. Again. Yay! Back home!

Kadric felt his mouth grow suddenly dry as the familiar face of Chalondra swept by him, cold and emotionless - something he normally didn't see. He was about to say something, anything, but instead his tongue seemed to tie itself into a knot. _Because you're in public, idiot!_ A voice scorned him. Kadric scowled, but inside knew it was right. He couldn't say anything to Chalondra in front of people. But if he couldn't, WHEN was he supposed to apologize?

"She owes me," he muttered, spinning around and heading down the hall towards Transfiguration. "She owes me _so_ much for putting myself through this humiliation."

It had been nearly two weeks since the kissing incident. Kadric had been fine at first, but realized that he felt sort of, well, empty without that accused tutoring. There was nothing to plan anymore, or no reason to go to the greenhouses. It sounded dumb, but at least he had been doing something, not to mention getting points for Slytherin. Sprout had asked him numerous times why he wasn't tutoring Chalondra anymore, and he always said something like "she needs a break."

With a tired sigh, Kadric strode down the hall. Today would be the day. He needed to apologize to get points for his house. It's not like he actually..._cared_ or anything. Hah! The day Kadric truly cared about someone or their feelings was the day Kadric could make a proper sleeping draught. And _that_ would never happen.

It was dinnertime. Chalondra sighed inwardly and pushed the beans on her plate around with her fork, resting her chin in her hand and thinking silently. For two weeks she hadn't been tutored, and her mark was steadily decreasing. Not just because she didn't understand, but because the weight of everything was on her shoulders. Of having to lie to her friends about tutoring, of Kadric discovering the note, of Kadric's kiss...

_No_, Chalondra scolded. _I am NOT going there_.

"Chal," Kate muttered, elbowing her best friend in the ribs. Chalondra dropped her fork and gave a strangled cry. Her friends stopped chattering and looked at her, and it was only then Chalondra noticed Danny sitting beside Tali. She felt her cheeks flush. "Er - caught my hair...with the - um - fork...yea..." She pointed at the utensil, blushing furiously. All they did was stare silently for a few seconds, and then go back to talking.

"What _is_ it, Kate?" Chalondra hissed angrily. Kate nodded her head over in Tali and Danny's direction, and Chalondra noticed that the two were talking animatedly, laughing and joking...wait! Laughing! She hadn't seen Tali laugh in, well, forever. "So?" Chalondra asked, shrugging. "Tali's laughing. That's good, right?"

"Not when she's laughing with Danny!" Kate whispered desperately. "Not with Danny! _I_ like Danny!"

Chalondra's stomach twisted. "Oh. Well. Maybe they're just being friendly?"

Kate glared at her for a second, but then turned from her friend and continued to spy on Tali and Danny, fuming silently. Chalondra knew that feeling when her best friend was giving her the cold shoulder, but right now she didn't really care. Worse things were taking over her mind.

"Hey Chal," Yoyo's bubbly voice broke Chal's thinking.

"Yea?"

"Did you ever answer my note from a while back?"

_Note. That note. The note that wrecked everything. The note that I so stupidly put into my pocket..._

"No," Chalondra answered warily. Yoyo's bright eyes dulled slightly.

"Ah. Okay." She stayed silent, which Chalondra knew wouldn't last for long.

"Do you like Kadric?" Yoyo suddenly asked. It was meant for just Chal to hear, but Yoyo could never keep her voice down. Chalondra blushed a deep, fiery crimson as most of the Ravenclaw table and probably beyond fell silent at the question.

"Kadric? Kadric Marsters from _Slytherin_?" asked a voice from down the table. Chalondra thought steam might be coming out of her ears now. She glared daggers at Yoyo.

"NO," she spoke firmly and loudly, though beneath it all her voice quailed. "I don't know _how_ you could ask such a stupid, such a lousy, and insensitive question!" Chalondra's angry eyes pierced into Yoyo's own, scared looking ones. The silence soon broke into noise. After all, no one cared if she _wasn't_ interested. Chalondra suddenly realized her voice was gone. She couldn't even speak to Yoyo. She couldn't even - muster the vocabulary to yell at her. All she did was shake her head and walk swiftly out of the Great Hall. She didn't know HOW Yoyo could ask a question like that. Especially when Chalondra thought she was just getting over her girly infatuation, and now...now those feelings she had longed to wash away came haunting back.

Curse Kadric.

Curse Yoyo.

Kadric's ears perked as his voice was spoken at the Ravenclaw table. A deadly silence took over the Great Hall, and Kadric wondered why. He craned his head to look, but all he saw was the back of Chalondra, whose ears were burning a bright red.

"NO," a voice spoke clearly, and Kadric realized it was Chalondra's. "I don't know _how_ you could ask such a stupid, such a lousy, and insensitive question!" Yes, that was definitely Chalondra. Too bad he didn't know WHAT she was yelling about. Seconds later he watched her get up and stride out of the Great Hall, a habit that was becoming familiar with her. _This is your chance_, hissed a voice in the back of his head. Kadric would have stated that was obvious to the voice, but it was himself after all. He watied a few moments, chatting and making some snide remarks of a Hufflepuff that had asked a stupid question in class earlier. When he thought all was safe and the episode with Chalondra was over, he stretched his arms.

"Well, I'm tired guys," he stated to his little posse of friends. "Think I'm gonna go try to get some shut-eye."

"Sleep?" sneered the boy next to him. "You haven't been to sleep in ages, Marsters. Something's been worrying you, it's plain to everyone. Having _girl_ troubles?" The mocking in his voice made Kadric go rigid. Girl troubles? As in tutoring a girl? Tutoring Chalondra? Oh, he better not know. If he knew, the endless teasings...

"No. I've just been - thinking," he said, knowing the answer was lame and empty of his usual sarcasm. "That's why I'm leaving right now." He got up suddenly, pushing his chair back and taking calm steps towards the doors. The minute he was out of them, he broke into a fast trot, looking around hurriedly for Chalondra. He saw other student looking at him curiously, but he continued to walk. He hoped Chalondra hadn't gone to cry in her dormitory or something. He needed to apologize before he lost his nerve. A head full of long black hair snapped Kadric around. The girl was walking down the hall towards the west wing. He took two large steps and grabbed at her shoulder.

"Chalondra?" he asked, hoping to get this over with. The girl turned around to, not show a Spanish Chalondra face, but a pale, large-eyed girl.

"No," she answered shyly, grinning slyly at him. "But I'm Teresa."

"Teresa. Yea. Nice. Okay, nevermind." He spun around and began walking away, ignoring the annoyed expression that passed across the girl's face for a fleeting moment.

Where would Chalondra go if she was sad...somewhere where she could be comforted...

"The library!" Kadric said almost automatically, charging into a run and arriving at the doors just as he saw Chalondra's familiar body pass behind a bookshelf. Sure that it was actually Chalondra and not some Taylor chick or whatever; he stepped in and headed her way, almost tentatively. What if she just ignored him? What if his apology was fruitless and she would laugh at him, not forgive him? Something like an apology from Kadric would spread like wildfire.

He sidled into the same aisle Chalondra was. He cast a sideways glance at her. She was intent on a book, and he bent down to look at the spines of the book. He read the titles. Boring, boring, boring, ooh, a herbology book! He was about to pull it out when Chalondra's voice rang past him. But it was filled with something like a cold hatred - something in her voice he hadn't heard since the year before when he would tease her mercilessly.

"And what are _you_ doing in a library?"

Kadric looked up, feinting surprise. "Oh, well, you know..." He stood up, stretching his arms. "I like to come in here once every so often and collect a few books. I'm a voracious reader, you know - "

"Oh, cut it out," Chalondra snapped, and Kadric couldn't help but smirk. "What are you _really_ doing here?"

Kadric's eyes suddenly grew wider, almost as if he were nervous. Chalondra placed her hands on her hips, glaring at him. She looked tough on the outside, but inside her stomach was churning. "Look, if you came to tease me about what happened in the Great Hall - "

"I have no idea what happened in the Great Hall," Kadric said hurriedly, almost too fast. Chalondra raised an eyebrow. "I came here for...for something else."

Chalondra was silent for a few moments. "You've got two minutes to impress me before I slap you. Again."

Kadric winced. "Ouch, you cruel being. I haven't even _done_ anything - "

"Starting now!"

"Okay, okay!" He raised his hands to silence her. "I came to...to..." His voice faltered. "IcametosayI'msorryforkissingyouIdidn'tknowitwouldbesuchabigdealtoyou."

Chalondra looked at him with a somewhat surprised look. She was sure she had caught most of what he had said, and felt a smile tugging at her lips. But she held it down. "Could you repeat that please? Slower?"

Kadric glared at her. "I don't think you're so dumb I need to talk at a turtle's pace."

Chalondra narrowed her eyes. "I'm flattered. Really."

Kadric sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Fine," he spat. "I'm sorry. I didn't know you would react so - violently to my kissing you." He cringed, and Chalondra knew it was an effort for him to apologize.

"Do you really mean it?" she asked, surprised she wasn't actually yelling her head off.

He seemed surprised too, because all he could do was nod.

Chalondra sighed heavily, turning it over in her mind. What was she _going_ to say? "You took my first kiss away from me, so because of something stupid like that I'm going to hate you forever?"

"Well...I guess I accept your apology," Chalondra muttered. Kadric gave a shaky smirk.

He gave a careless shrug, leaning against the book shelf. "So, do you, like, need me to tutor you again?"

Chalondra's eyes flashed. "I don't _need_ you to do anything!" she snapped. Kadric chuckled, which infuriated her more. "I don't know why I accepted your apology," she muttered. Kadric tutted her.

"You can't go back on your word _now_, Spanish-Swearing Girl."

Chalondra snorted. "Maybe I can."

"No way. That's against The Code Of All That Is Holy."

"If it's holy to a Slytherin, it can't mean that much."

Kadric grinned. "You're learning well."

Chalondra only gaped at him. "You're evil."

"It's what I do best."

Chalondra couldn't believe she was having a conversation with the boy that had kissed her and she had hated for the past two weeks. So why had she accepted his apology so suddenly? It had to be because she needed the tutoring…right? No. No, it wasn't. Chalondra realized she had actually missed him. She had actually missed his snide remarks. Was that even _possible_?

"So…do you still want the tutoring?" Kadric's voice disrupted her thoughts.

"Sure. I _guess_ I can handle you for a little while longer," Chalondra commented, smiling almost shyly.

Kadric sighed, looking dejected. "Aw, darnit. I thought you would leave me alone already." With a smirk he rounded the corner, leaving a very angry Chalondra in his wake.

Chalondra nearly bounced down the halls after their conversation, looking forward to Tuesday, oddly enough. Chalondra didn't know why she looked forward to Kadric's company – probably because he was different. _And cute_, a voice chided, but she chose to ignore it. Yoyo had made amends last night when Chalondra had made her way to the dormitory. She forgave her. After all, her marks in Herbology would be rising again! As her friend laughed and hugged her, Chalondra couldn't help but feel a bit guilty. First, for letting her very private note slip, and second, because she liked Kadric. But only a little bit! And she still didn't look forward to that little fact.

Chalondra saw Kadric with a small group of Slytherin's as they went down the Entrance Hall for Care of Magical Creatures. Yoyo ran ahead, and that's when Chal noticed her loose shoelace. "Curses," she muttered absently, leaning down to tie it near Kadric's posse.

"Chal! Hurry up!"

"Just a second, Yoyo! My shoe came undone!"

………

_Yoyo…Yoyo…Yo…Y…Y! That's it!_ Kadric's left part of his brain had been listening to his friends, but his right part had been listening to the name Chalondra called. It was obvious. So obvious. This Yoyo girl's name started with a Y. That note had ended in a Y. After all the weeks of wondering, Kadric finally knew. This Yoyo girl liked him. But then again, lots of other girls probably liked him too. With an evil smirk that would come back to haunt Chalondra later that day, Kadric went back to his conversation.

………

Chalondra was backing down the hall towards the Ravenclaw tower, oblivious to Kadric, who was standing behind one of the knights that Chal had passed. She hummed a tune that covered the near silent steps of Kadric.

"Hello, Chalondra," he whispered, his mouth right beside her ear. Chalondra gave an unearthly scream, jumping back, her heart pounding.

"KADRIC!" She hissed, eyes narrowed to nearly slits. "What are you DOING!"

He smirked.

This irritated Chalondra. "Stop it," she ordered, brushing at her hair.

He smirked again.

With an annoyed glance that clearly read 'go away', Chalondra turned and began walking away once more.

"So…tell me about this Yoyo," he said coolly. Chalondra's foot froze in midstep.

"Who?" she asked innocently, turning around. Kadric sneered.

"Yoyo! The 'Y' on the note! As I said, I need to know my ladies."

Chalondra felt her blood go cold. "You're hallucinating. Your ego needs to deflate a bit," she snapped, glaring at him. Kadric merely shrugged.

"I'm sure you don't want this, tidbit, floating around the school, hmm?"

Chalondra's eyes widened. "You wouldn't," she stated hoarsely. Yoyo would positively _kill_ her.

"Yes I would," Kadric said sneakily.

Chalondra sighed. "What do you want?"

Kadric gave another irritating smile. "You wouldn't like it."

"That's beside the point," Chalondra growled. "You want a favor, I can tell. I'll do it as long as you don't let Yoyo's secret drift around, okay?" Her voice was like ice, whereas her insides were melting.

Just as Kadric was about to open his mouth, Chalondra grinned. It was perfect. SO perfect…

"On the other hand," she began, walking lazily up to him. "I don't think I have to do _anything_ for you."

Kadric snorted. "My friend's will love to tease this Yoyo – "

"You're in as deep as me, if not more."

This stopped Kadric. He gave her a wary glance. "What do you mean?"

"I mean…" Chalondra leaned in closer, acting much braver than she felt. "That if you tell people about Yoyo, I'll tell people you kissed me." Chalondra grinned wickedly, glad to see Kadric's expression seem almost nervous.

"Deal?" she asked. Kadric sighed nervously. She knew he would just _die_ if people knew he had kissed a Ravenclaw.

"Fine. Deal. Whatever. But just remember…I know your friend's secret." He grinned impishly at her, and Chalondra suddenly felt queasy all over.

"Kadric," she warned.

"Don't worry, don't worry, I won't say a thing." He winked at her before he strode away. "See you on Tuesday."

As he walked away, Chalondra sighed heavily. How could she be repulsed by him one second, and then nearly fall head over heels the next?

"I need a holiday," she muttered, spinning around and heading for the Ravenclaw tower. "A long holiday."


	9. Yoyo Gets Broken

It was Tuesday. The day after two long weeks where Chalondra was headed to dreaded tutoring – something she hated, yet liked at the same time.

This time she made sure no notes were hanging out of her pockets.

"Hey there," Kadric's voice awoke Chalondra from her reverie.

"Hey," she replied, rubbing her hands together. "Can you hurry up? It's chilly!"

Just to bother her, Kadric's calm steps turned into snail paced ones, a smirk taking over his face.

"Oh, haha," Chalondra said almost boredly, scolding him. "Hurry up, _please_."

Kadric didn't.

Chalondra had to wait at least ten minutes for him to reach the door. Then he took _forever_ sticking the key in the lock and then turning it. Chalondra gave him a quick smile, which was very much forced, before she stalked into the humid heat of the greenhouse.

"So," Kadric began, setting his cloak on a chair. Chalondra made sure not to look at him with his shirt sleeves rolled up to the elbows and his tie hanging loose over an un tucked white school t-shirt.

"So what?" Chalondra asked.

"Ready for some _more_ hands on experience?"

Chalondra snorted. "I think I'll just take notes today. Actually, I had some questions I was having some problems with…"

Kadric gritted his teeth. "Fine, fine, let me see them."

Chalondra hesitated. "Not if you're going to be a big grump about it."

Kadric sighed. Something was bothering him, but Chalondra didn't know what.

She took a seat, flinging her hair behind her shoulders so it would stop getting in her eyes. But she _wasn't _going to ask what was wrong. She barely knew the guy!

"Okay, I won't be a big grump," he said, giving her a tight smile. "Can I see the notes?"

Chalondra passed over her sheet of parchment. "Number's one, five, and eight don't make any sense to me. Well, a bit…" Her voice quieted as Kadric looked over the questions, his forehead creased. But Chalondra could clearly see his mind was somewhere else.

"Um…Kadric?"

"Huh?" he asked, his head snapping up from looking at the parchment.

"You've been looking at that paper for twenty minutes," Chalondra said, trying to hide the concern in her voice. "Is it _really_ that hard?"

Kadric's face grew into a grimace. "Ravenclaw, _please_, I don't need this right now."

Chalondra suddenly felt very small at the whip-like tone of his voice. "Fine," she said haughtily. "Maybe you just shouldn't tutor me today." She sniffed, grabbing the parchment from him and began to roll it up.

"You haven't been your usual mean self today, or yesterday for that matter," Chalondra continued, trying to wheedle the information out of him. "That Gryffindor tripped right in front of you and you didn't say a thing. I think I went into temporary shock."

Nothing.

Chalondra risked a glance at him, and saw that his head was cupped into one hand, and he was staring at the wall opposite of them. "Look, if you want to go do some hands on experience, I guess I can -"

"It's not that," Kadric finally said, shaking his head slightly. Chalondra immediately sat down. She prided herself on being a psychologist-in-training.

Kadric seemed to read her thoughts, because he managed to crack a smirk. "Sorry Brainy, but I'm not going to spill my deepest, most inner thoughts to you. I barely know you."

Chalondra felt dejected. "Fine," she said almost icily. Then she remembered she had no reason to be mad at him and calmed down slightly. "I don't know why I'm asking you this, but are you okay? I mean, you're just not yourself…"

"And how would you know what 'myself' is supposed to be like?" Kadric suddenly snapped, flinging his hands in the air. "That's just the thing. Myself. I'm – well – Kadric is supposed to _always_ be the bully, and sometimes I just wish…" He paused, eyes widening slightly.

"You know what? Never mind. Look, just – uh – ignore that."

Chalondra smiled. "I sense some insecurity…"

"No," Kadric stated quietly, teeth gritted. "No, nothing like that."

Chalondra studied his face, making sure she didn't stare for too long. When would she _ever_ get over this stupid infatuation? "Did someone find out about your tutoring?" she asked, suddenly queasy. Kadric shook his head.

"Is someone pressuring you to tease someone?"

Kadric was silent. His shoulders gave a wiggle semi-shrug dance. Chalondra grimaced.

"Was someone teasing you about Herbology?"

Kadric suddenly glared at her. "Don't try that on me," he snapped, and Chalondra was smart enough to back off. "I'm sick of you hounding me. We're _not _friends, so just stop trying to 'help' me, all right?" His eyes were sparking with some unknown anger, and Chalondra meekly hid her face under a curtain of ebony black hair.

Suddenly he sighed heavily. "Let's just forget about it, all right? Show me those problems again; I'll see if I can help you…"

Chalondra could clearly hear the stubbornness in his voice and handed the parchment over silently. As he began to explain the first question, she couldn't help but almost sense the heaviness on his shoulders. _I wish he would tell me what's wrong. Wait, why do I care so much? He was right. We're NOT friends. And I don't want to be anything more that tutor and tutorage…right? Right? _

………

"WHAT!" Chalondra cried, jumping up from her bed. "Are you INSANE, Yoyo!"

Yoyo cringed under her friend's sudden shrieks. "Well, _I_ don't think so," she sniffed. "I thought it'd be good to get this weight off of my shoulders."

Chalondra struggled for air. She forgot how to breathe. _In, out, in out…_She finally let out air through her nostrils. "Yoyo, this is – you're – crazy. You can't _possibly_ tell Kadric you like him! You CAN'T! You know how much that would spread? You know how much you'd be teased?"

Yoyo hesitated. "I think I'm doing the right thing. Aren't you supposed to tell people how you feel?"

_I wish_, Chalondra though internally, gritting her teeth together. "Yoyo, I'm only against this for your own safety," she said, overly calm. She sat on the edge of her bed and gave her friend a pleading look. "Are you ready to risk it?"

Yoyo grinned, flopping onto her back on her bed. "Anything's worth the risk for – for love."

That was it. That was _last_ straw. Chalondra's jaw dropped open, and she not only forgot how to breathe, she forgot how to talk. It was a while before she mustered up something semi-comprehendible.

"Yoyo – love – YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW THE GUY!"

"What and you do?" Yoyo snapped in an accusatory tone. Chalondra looked into her eyes, forcing herself not to look away or blink.

"No," she replied back quietly. "No, I don't." Which is true, she thought. Pretty much.

"Yoyo, all I'm saying is that Kadric, any Slytherin, is slimy. They tease, taunt, and bully. They treat the rest of us like dirt, and admitting your feelings to one is ridiculous. And it's impossible to love a Slytherin. _Impossible._"

Yoyo glared at her friend. "Chalondra, I thought you'd be supportive."

"Yoyo, I hate the guy!" _Not true…_

"I know, but – but I don't. I've always thought he was kind of funny…"

Chalondra snorted. "Gee. Thanks. After six years of haunting me, and you say he's _funny_?"

Yoyo stiffened. "Chal, I'm telling him whether you like it or not, so I wish you'd just ACCEPT that."

Chal was silent for a moment. _What're you afraid of? That he'll turn her down? No, not so much, that's expected. That he'll like her back? That he'll pretend to like her only to annoy you? Why would you care though? You only like his looks. Inside he's the biggest jerk alive. He'll kill Yoyo, he'll break her heart. He'd just LOVE to talk to his friends about it…but, if Yoyo's going to do what she wants, you better be there so she has a shoulder to cry on when he freaks out at her. Tell her about the note? That's…that's a no no. Later. Much later._

Chalondra sighed heavily, rubbing at the back of her ears. "All right, okay, do what you want Yoyo. But I'm warning you that he's not going to be very pleasant. I've – I've heard he'll kiss a girl just to shut her up, so that means if he has _any _feelings, they rarely ever surface. Everything is fake with him."

Yoyo smiled shakily. "I'm just so nervous. But it's a good nervous, you know? When should I tell him? After dinner, potions…" Yoyo went on and on, giggling and getting all mushy. Chalondra only nodded every so often, maybe a Yea, or Good idea, every now and then. Why couldn't Yoyo like someone else? No, why couldn't _Chalondra_ like someone else? I don't like him, she thought. I just like his looks. That's it, that's all, end of story.

………

It was after dinner Wednesday evening. Kate and Tali had gone ahead to the dormitory for some unknown discussion. Chalondra had seen the steely glint in Kate's eyes and knew what their talk was going to be about – Danny, and Tali's flirting with him.

Yoyo was standing nervously at the base of the steps, whereas Chalondra was standing at the top, pretending to flip through a book. But really, she was there for support, and to witness what was going to happen between the two. Whatever it was, it _wasn't_ going to be pretty.

Chal kept looking at the Great Hall doors. Goodness, what was taking him so long? He could probably sense awkwardness ahead and was taking his sweet time. Well Chal didn't have time for him to dawdle along. She needed to get this over with. Her stomach was queasy. Very queasy, and knotted up and made of lead. Augh, why did she have to CARE? Kadric didn't like Yoyo – there was no way. But who cares if he did? Chal? Yea…yea right…

Musings of both Chal and Yoyo were interrupted as Kadric and three fellow Slytherins walked out of the Great Hall, laughing and heading past the stairs to head down to the dungeons. She made sure to hide her face well behind the book so Kadric didn't know she was there. After all, she didn't want it to seem like she was stalking him.

"Um – Kadric? Kadric Marsters?" Chal cringed. Yoyo sounded nervous, her voice quavering. But at the same time, it was resolute in its choice. Chal risked a peek over the edge of the book to see Kadric standing before Yoyo, a look of mingled shock, horror, and disgust on his face.

"Yea, that's me," he replied casually, giving his pals a sidelong glance that read "Loser." Chal gulped, and knew Yoyo had seen the look too. She paused for a minute, trying to collect her thoughts. Chal could tell. How many times had she been like that in front of Kadric? Not too many, she hoped.

"Well? Spit it out, Ravenclaw!" Kadric snapped. Once again, Chalondra cringed. What a _jerk_!

"I – uh – well, Kadric, I just wanted to let you know that…that I don't think you're, um, as evil and as big of a jerk as lots of people, er, think. _I_ actually think you're – well – okay." She gulped, and Chal felt her own heart racing. Wow, that took bravery. Chal was ready to faint and she hadn't even said anything. She glanced at Kadric to see his face clearly trying to suppress shock. But it sure didn't suppress its distaste.

"What are you trying to say?" he asked coldly. His two pals were sniggering, and a small group was gathering on the steps and behind Chal. She rounded on the boy nearest her.

"What?" she snapped, angry at him for gawking at her friend. "This isn't a zoo!" she whispered fiercely. "Scat!" The boy gave her strange look and scurried off down the hall. Chal mumbled grumpily and turned back to gawk just as the boy had.

"I'm – uh, trying to say, that, I, I kind of…Well, I like you Kadric Marsters."

Chal gasped. So did thirty other students. Then some broke out into a mad twitter, whispering and pointing at Yoyo. Chal saw the red flaming on her cheeks, and how near she was to tears. But Kadric didn't seem to take that into account. All he did was snort. It cut through Chal like a knife, but hurt Yoyo even more.

"Do I even _know_ your name?" he asked cockily, chuckling along with his cronies. Yoyo blushed ferociously. Not exactly the answer you want for confessing your love.

"Yes!" Chal called before she could contain herself. With a quiet curse she hid her head behind the book so neither Kadric nor the students could see her face. Chal blushed, and knew Yoyo was probably confused.

"I-It's Yoyo," Yoyo said calmly. Chal had to give her credit. She probably would have run away by now.

"Yoyo? Like, the muggle toy?" He snorted along with his friends, and Chal felt like ripping his head off. Why did he have to be so mean?

Yoyo didn't reply, only narrowed her eyes at him. But Kadric just wouldn't shut up.

"No offense, but I prefer to date actual humans, not little play things." This statement, as lame as it was, received a few laughs and chuckles from the surrounding crowd. Chal felt like punching them all. Shut up, shut up, shut _up_!

Yoyo glared at Kadric. "You know what? I don't think you're worth it anymore," she said coolly, getting a loud 'oooh' from the crowd. Kadric only scoffed at the statement.

"Not a big loss to me. After all, you're just another swooning female. I'm getting kind of sick of them."

That was it. He could only go _so _far. Chal slammed the book shut, fury very clear on her face. Yoyo might be better at hiding at her temper, but not Chal. As Yoyo took swift steps away from Kadric and stepped lightly, but painfully fast up the staircase and away from the kids, Chal did the opposite. She stomped down the stairs towards Kadric, anger echoing in her loud clomping steps. She faced him, a foot shorter than Kadric, but her rage made her seem much, _much_ taller.

"You are a _rat_," she hissed, aware of all the students still watching this little episode. Kadric of course, smiled at the audience.

"What's this? Another one of my admirers? Brainiac's seem to be attracted to me," Kadric continued, unknowing to Chal's bottled up anger. A few chortles rang throughout the room.

"You don't know _when_ to shut up, do you Marsters?" she snarled, not letting him get a word in edge wise. "You just went and degraded an innocent person, right in front of an audience, and your despicable cronies!" Kadric's friends growled at this, but Chal rushed ahead.

"I don't know how people can stand you, romping about like you think you're better than everyone else. Well, you're NOT. Yoyo is my best friend, and I can't STAND it when people like you beat them senseless with words and stupid remarks. You're a disgrace to wizards, you're a disgrace to Hogwarts, and, oh, you know what? You're EVEN a disgrace to _Slytherin_!" She poked him in the chest, hard. He stumbled back a step and she glared furiously at him. With that she spun around on her heel and ran up the steps to search for Yoyo.

She found her, up on the sixth floor in an abandoned classroom, bawling her eyes out. Chal sighed heavily. When Yoyo had needed her shoulder, she hadn't been there like she said she would have. This made her feel doubly guilty. Why did he have to like such a slime ball anyway? She ran up to Yoyo and grabbed her in arms, telling her Kadric wasn't worth the tears. But deep inside, she had a feeling he was. At least, sometime soon he would be.

………

Chalondra unwillingly snuck to tutoring on Thursday, hoping that Kadric maybe hated her as much as she hated him right now to not come. But when she went to the Greenhouses she found number Three already unlocked. With a resigned sigh she stepped in, seeing Kadric's silhouette in the backroom where was watering some plants.

"Hello," he called calmly. Chal didn't reply. She just set her books on the table, pretending he didn't exist. She'd ask him some questions, he'd assign her some, and she'd leave. They'd all be happy. Happy, happy, happy.

"So, nice conversation we had yesterday, hmm?" Kadric asked. Chalondra looked up to see him leaning against the door, his shirt sleeves rolled up and his tie loosened around his neck again. Chal sighed, averting his gaze.

"Yea, absolutely _pleasant_," she retorted, taking out a sheet of paper. "Now can we just get this over with?"

Kadric tutted. "Now _you're_ the one in the bad mood."

Chal said nothing. She could remember Kadric's bad mood clearly from Tuesday. "Well at least I have a good reason."

Kadric's face darkened ominously for a moment, but then cleared. He grabbed a chair opposite of Chalondra and was quite for a few minutes as Chal absently scribbled some words from the textbook.

"You know, I wasn't being mean to _you_ yesterday, just that Yoyo – "

"Yoyo is one of my _best friends_," Chal emphasized, glaring at him. "If you're a jerk to her, you're immediately a jerk to me. Did you know you broke her heart, Kadric?" She stood up suddenly, listening to herself blabber on and on about their conversation without really thinking.

"I _told_ her not to tell you how she felt, because I KNEW you were a jerk! I knew you would tease her mercilessly in front of all those people! I knew you would degrade some innocent person just because you're so terribly insecure yourself you can't even tell a person what's bothering you! I tried to stop her from getting her heart broken, but she didn't listen. She had feelings for you THAT MUCH, Kadric! And you just blew her off! I don't CARE if your friends were there, I don't CARE if you had an audience, you should have respected her feelings! You didn't have to be such a bully! You're just – just – you're so _different_ in front of your friends. You're fine around me, but you're just….UNBEARABLE!"

Chalondra breathed heavily, smoothing out her hair and suddenly sitting down. Kadric only stared at her, a smirk tugging at his lips.

"Don't even start," snapped Chalondra. Kadric obediently stayed silent, until Chal couldn't bear it any longer. "Say something," she ordered. Kadric seemed to ponder over it.

"Something," he replied, grinning openly. Chalondra snapped her textbook shut.

"That's it. I can't work with you anymore. I thought this could work. I guess not." As she got up, Kadric got a panicked look in his eyes. Only because he would be missing out on detentions and points, but Chal didn't know that. She didn't even see the look.

"Er – wait!" he called, standing up suddenly. Chal turned back.

"What?"

"I didn't know you…cared about your friends so much," he decided. Chal grimaced.

"That doesn't matter. The point is that you were rude and inconsiderate. That used to be ME, Kadric! That could have been any student, and you would have done the same. The point is that you have no heart."

"Now that's just out of line," Kadric said suddenly, coming around the table so they weren't shouting at each other – that would attract attention. "I do too have a heart."

"It must be made of stone," Chal snapped. "Everything you ever do is fake, laughing with your friends, being overly cruel when it's obvious you don't want to be, kissing people," she added, ticking things off on her fingers. "It's quite obvious that anything of importance matters little to you. Like people's feelings, people's first kisses – "

"Okay, okay! I get it!" Kadric finally managed to squeeze some words into Chalondra's bout. "But I _do _have a heart," he continued to argue, crossing his arms. Chal rolled her eyes.

"Why are we even talking about this? The point is that you broke _Yoyo's_ heart, and I can't forgive you for that. That was just rude, ignorant, selfish, and completely bullyish. THAT'S why you have no heart at all. Everything you do is fake and has no meaning whatsoev—"

Chal was cut off in her tirade, with a familiar and angering way. Kadric's right hand had cupped her chin, and he immediately leaned in to kiss her. His left hand was on her waist, and Chal's eyes widened in shock and horror. This was wrong, this was wrong, this was wrong. So WHY in all that is holy did it have to feel so right?

Just her and Kadric, alone, in a greenhouse, with his hand on her waist, his lips on hers…

Wait! Kadric! Kadric the _Slytherin_, Kadric who had broken Yoyo's heart and would probably break thousands of other girls – maybe even hers. Chal immediately ripped away, but not soon enough so Kadric couldn't smirk, because smirk he did.

"Would you _stop_ doing that?" Chal screamed, planting her hands on her hips, eyes burning into his. Kadric only grinned.

"But it's so funny to see you squirm." He leaned in. "And besides, it was obvious you enjoyed it."

Chalondra felt like slapping him. But that had done nothing last time. And besides, she didn't even really want to. "You shut your mouth," she snapped. "You have NO idea how I feel about things. Like being taken advantage of."

Kadric's face suddenly drained of color a little bit. "You won't go running off, will you?"

Chal placed a forced smile on her lips. "What, going to miss me if I do?"

He frowned. "No, it's just that – tutoring, helps, with my, ah, Herbology skills." Chal could see some obvious quick thinking had been made, but she didn't question him further.

"I can't believe you. First you totally diss my friend, and then you pounce on me. Make up your mind, all right? You probably belong with some other slime ball Slytherin girl. You'd match _perfectly_." Chal stormed out of the greenhouse, books clutched in her hand.

"Are we still on for Tuesday?" She heard Kadric call from the greenhouse door. All she did was roll her eyes and continue marching off. But of course she would return on Tuesday. She always would unless they officially stopped.

_! It's ONLY an infatuation. I don't REALLY like him or anything, _Only an infatuation…Finally it dawned on her. It wasn't only an infatuation. She truly liked Kadric, for all his annoying, bully, jerkish ways. How was that possible?

Stupid, stupid Kadric and his good looks, charm, and smile. Stupid him, she thought numbly. She was turning into one of those love-sick girls now…almost like Yoyo. Eugh.

These tutoring lessons weren't teaching her anything that would be of use in Herbology – they were only teaching her how to get her heart broken.


	10. A Sinister Surprise

_Day what of liking Kadric now? Day one million gazillion? Augh, it seems like that long, and I've only had three tutoring lessons._

It was Sunday, one of Chal's only relaxation days, where she could sit around inside the common room, watching the snow clouds gather in the sky. Winter was coming soon, and it was only the end of October. She had her chin resting in her palm, her elbow propped up on the arm of the small blue velvet chair near the window. From up in the tower, everything seemed so small, and the clouds seemed so close that Chal could just reach out and touch them. At least, it looked that way. The chair was so small Chal had to hug her legs close in so only her feet dangled off the edge. Little black people ran around the grounds, enjoying the last of the good weather. Chalondra sighed and watched her black hair float away from her face as her breath escaped. Might as well dwell on her feelings while she had the chance.

But before she could, she heard footsteps from behind her. She twisted her neck to see a young second year, wringing her hands nervously as she walked closer to Chal, her steps small and timid, eyes to the floor. Chal watched, interested, as the young girl finally made her way up to Chal, still not looking her in the eyes. Her throat made some sort of noise, and Chal realized she was trying to talk.

"Did you need something?" she asked politely, trying to help the girl. Why was she so scared anyway? It was just Chalondra, the Brain, not the Bully. Who could be scared of a _nerd_?

"Um – uh – you're supposed ta go ta the tapestry on the fourth floor corrida. A man asked me ta, and he said – he said if I didn't, he'd make sha I'd get beaten up by his 'friends.'" Her bottom lip trembled as she spoke, and Chal felt her blood run cold.

"Well don't worry; I'll make sure this person doesn't beat you up." The girl looked up nervously at Chal, who smiled down at her. "I'm not one of the people who would beat you up, I promise. I'm just as much in the dark as you are. What did he say?"

"He saw the blue on me cloak and asked if I knew a Chalondra. I said 'yes, doesn't everyone?' and he told me ta come and get you, and, well, you know the rest." She didn't seem as scared anymore, and Chal felt a bit better. At least she wasn't intimidating or anything.

"Well, I'm going to go find out who it is," she said, standing up and squaring her shoulders. The girl nodded.

"Okay." And then she ran off, shoes clattering against the stone steps that led to the girl's dormitory.

That was weird, Chal thought, slipping out of the common room and heading silently down the tower stairs. Who'd call for me without showing up themselves? And saying they'll get their friends to beat up an innocent kid? Why am I even going? They probably want to beat _me_ up…

Hogwarts was nearly empty, except for a few students and staff milling about, or students just coming in with red cheeks, warming up, and then escaping outside. As Chal walked past the main doors to use the shortcut to the tapestry, she wondered why she hadn't gone outside with her friends. Probably because she had wanted to think.

So much for that.

In a few moments Chal climbed a number of stairs, tickled a few doors in all of the right places, and snuck through tapestries and behind statues to get to the tapestry. She knew plenty of the shortcuts, but she never used them unless she was late for class – which was rarely ever. Soon she saw the tapestry in sight, its gold trim shining in her eyes. In the center stood a large tree, vines twisting around its branches, and from the vines blossomed golden plants that almost looking in the shape of hearts. Chal stopped in front of it, admiring the stitching and the creative idea. Her thoughts were interrupted as a voice from behind the tapestry spoke.

"So you have arrived," spoke a deep voice, "Finally."

Chal cocked her head, trying to look past the tapestry. It was obvious there was a space behind it. The thin gauze material didn't hide much. She could even see a black figure, looking as though it were hidden in a cloak, just like the third year had said.

"Are you too chicken to show yourself?" Chal asked, stomach twisting uncomfortably. Who _was_ this anyway?

"No. I'm…Cautious. Come inside."

"Is anyone else with you?" Chal asked.

The voice didn't answer at first. "Of course not," it said almost too quickly. Chal's first instinct was to run and tell a teacher, because, you know, that's just the kind of person she was. But something else was stronger than her caution, it was telling her to go inside and look…It was curiosity. Chal knew it was going to haunt her later, but she decided to blame it on Kadric's influencing as she looked both left and right, then lifted the side of the tapestry and slipped behind it.

She came face to face with a black, hooded person, their face in the shadows of the cloak. From the corner was a light from a small torch, and Chal could see there was a turn, probably leading to somewhere else. In the other corner a number of old dusty boxes were piled haphazardly. Chal didn't speak at first, too afraid this might be someone who hated her for being smart, and might want to finish her off. Plans of escape came flying into her mind, and she began to get nervous, wringing her hands and rocking back and forth on her feet. What if there _was_ no way out?

"Nervous?" asked the black figure. Its voice was ominous and deep. Chal shook her head.

"Of course not," she replied quickly. The hooded thing only chuckled.

"You should be."

There was a silence after this statement. Now Chalondra really _was_ afraid. What kind of school WAS Hogwarts, letting murderers and other equally dangerous people into the grounds?

"I'll be – uh – going now…"

"I don't think so."

The thing didn't even need to do anything. Chalondra immediately fell quiet, and even stopped her fidgeting. But she was still nervous, still scared. This thing seemed so evil, almost too evil. She had never actually SEEN anyone evil. She'd heard tales of You-Know-Who, but they were just that – tales.

"You're not You-Know-Who, are you?" Chal asked stupidly. The thing laughed. It was cold and high.

"I thought you were supposed to be smart."

"Who ARE you?" Chal finally asked, feeling something like frustration twinge underneath all of her fear. "If you're so great, why don't you show yourself?"

"I don't think you'd like what you'd see."

This statement chilled Chalondra a bit, but she barreled on. "Why did you even want to see ME? I'm not important, I'm not All-Powerful or anything! And I DON'T know all of the secret entrances to the school, so I can't help you bring in an army or anything –"

"Stop talking so much, it's aggravating." The voice boomed, its cloaked self suddenly seeming more sinister to Chal. She quieted, but all she really wanted to do was escape. Why didn't she? She could just dart out and run…But this man wanted something, and Chal was going to find out what.

"Well will you tell me already? It's chilly in here," Chal lied, rubbing her arms for emphasis. All the while her stomach was churning. She listened for noise in the hall, just so she could feel comforted she wasn't alone…but she didn't hear a thing. That made it worse. Her stomach started to shrivel at a rapid speed.

"Have you heard of the Slytherin Kadric Marsters?"

"No," Chal said immediately. She was bad at this lying thing. "I've never heard of him."

"Hmm…He's always talked about you."

Chal froze, but then remembered her lie and began to loosen up. "So? I'm sure news of my skills has gotten around or whatever. Nothing big," she said breezily, all the while cautious. Since when had this man talked to Kadric?

"Do not lie to me, Child. I don't care for it." Silence ensued this statement as the thing seemed to be thinking. Chal couldn't be sure.

"Well, I'll let you know that I'm always watching, if not myself at least someone close to me. Remember that."

"So you're saying you're my – stalker?"

"Stalker? No, no. I'm more the…Informee. You're the Informant."

"Informant?" Chal scoffed. "What do I have to tell _you_? How to do spells?"

"Oh, I'm quite capable of casting a few spells. A few spells I'm sure to keep under wraps. No, Ravenclaw, I've heard stories from the staff and such that you're being tutored by this Kadric."

Chalondra blushed under his gaze. "I don't need a tutor, I'm smart enough," she snapped, having no clue why she was trying to hide Kadric. Even…Protect him? Nah. That couldn't be it.

"I TOLD you not to lie," the thing hissed. "I have only one request of you – for now. Watch him. Listen to him. Make sure you know what he is doing most of the time. Learn his schedule. Learn anything you can about him."

Chal snorted. "And why would I do that? Why do you NEED to know about Kadric and his time table? This is so LAME –"

One thing Chalondra's mother had always taught her was to never get ahead of herself, a habit of hers. Sadly, those words of wisdom vanished as Chal continued to blabber on, but something silenced her; something cold and metallic at her throat.

It was a wand, pointed at her neck like a knife blade tip. Chal's eyes glanced down to see the arm of the thing still wrapped in the black cloak, not allowing her to see the hand. He was still invisible.

"You will do as I say," he hissed menacingly. "You will come when I send the messenger, or your friends will pay. I know enough about them to get back at you if you disobey. And remember, I have ears and eyes through this whole school. Say ONE WORD and your head will be mine," the thing whispered menacingly, though to Chal it was like a dull roar. This man was capable of killing her. Chalondra was in a life-or-death situation.

This was not good.

She didn't want to tell them ALL about Kadric, which was just creepy. And how was she supposed to learn about him anyway? Blunt questions got you nowhere. But a jab of the wand deeper into her throat made up her mind for her.

"All right," she croaked, coughing as the wand withdrew. She rubbed at neck. "All right," she repeated, though a bit more sadly. "I'll do whatever, just don't kill me."

Pearly white teeth flashed from the shadows. "Perfect," it said, its voice eerie. Chalondra watched sadly as the thing stuck its wand into a pocket. She had been beaten. Whatever this thing was, it had whittled her down to nothing. She had a feeling whatever was happening was big, and she had just agreed to do it.

"So you're NOT going to tell me who you are?" she asked again. The thing hissed, and Chal took that as a hint. With two large steps she was out of the tapestry room and running blindly down the hall, breathing heavy and rasped. She didn't look where she was going, only at the ground, which was now becoming blurry with tears. There were too many secret meetings for her, too many lies and betrayal. At least the other stuff was small, just simple tutoring. But THIS, THIS seemed like a situation where either Chalondra or Kadric could be in danger of death.

"Whoa!" a voice cried as Chalondra ran head on into a body. She bounced backwards and went sprawling onto the stone floor, scraping her palms on the stones in the process. She had her body weight rested on her palms, body twisted to the side, head lolling on her shoulder, but she didn't bother to get up. All she wanted to do was to lie down and never get up. She did just that, letting her elbows buckle and feeling her body thump lower onto the stone floor. She didn't even bother looking at who she had run into, only closed her eyes and hoped for sleep.

This was all too much. She was used to little things – school, boys, and friends. That was the end. But this thing was evil, dark, sinister…Surely connected to You-Know-Who. She wasn't THAT dumb. And it hadn't been Kadric playing a trick either…that voice was too deep, and too old to be a student. Not to mention the thing had been too tall. No, a student didn't know about their tutoring…Yet.

"What is _wrong _with you?" the voice of the person Chalondra had crashed into asked. It seemed to be above her, but she didn't respond. "I've said your name about TEN TIMES, and all you're doing is lying there like a vegetable!" Chalondra only breathed deeper, trying to think of happier things, happier times. She cursed that second year; she cursed, cursed, and cursed her.

It's not her fault, a voice chided deep within in her head. I know, another answered miserably.

"Look, I'm NOT carrying you to the hospital wing, Genius! I may be brave, strong, handsome, witty, smart, and so on, but I'm NOT a knight or anything! God, just get up and walk, it's not that hard."

The sarcasm in the voice was vaguely familiar, but Chalondra was already drifting off. Not into sleep, but into something else. Usually sleep was dark. Whatever she was seeing now was white, glaring and bright underneath her eyelids.

"Hello? Look, people are staring now. I'm just going to walk off, and that's that. Just because of You-Know-What doesn't mean I'm talking to you. People will think I'm going soft if I touch you."

Who was it that was interrupting her peace? The light started to fade, and Chalondra let out a groan. She didn't want to go back to reality, anything but that…

"Chalondra," the voice hissed, and she guessed that the person was squatting down now. The voice was almost in her ear, tickling the little hairs in it. She only moaned again. "That's it, I'm getting Madame Pomfry. You clearly lost your mind because you missed me so much. It happens."

She didn't respond to the sentence that was supposed to wake her up with a snap. The sentences weren't even making sense.

"That's it," the echoed voice repeated. "I'll wait till everyone leaves the corridor…One person, two…HEY! GET OUT OF HERE, IT'S PRIVATE!"

Footsteps hurriedly running away. Silence. A low sigh. Someone mumbling to themselves, their pacing feet clattering the stones around Chal's head. She grimaced as the light faded. No, she thought, come back. I want to rest.

"I'm never going to live it down. Thank goodness you're unconscious." The voice must have belonged to a person, because a moment later Chal felt herself being lifted up from the stone floor and being wrapped in someone else's strong arms as they trotted away from where Chal had been lying moments ago.

Finally, the light grew brighter, brighter, brighter…

And then Chal was engulfed in it, finally being able to rest.

………

"Could you have been _any_ slower?"

"You asked me this yesterday too, Madame Pomfry, and I'll tell you again, it was _embarrassing_, carrying someone."

"Embarrassing or not, she could have died, gotten a concussion, or something equally serious. I'm surprised at you."

"Well, what did you expect of me? That I'd unleash my inner hero?"

"No smart remarks, Mister," snapped the orderly voice. The other one only mumbled something in response.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

"Speak your mind, Boy."

"I said _sorry_."

"I'm sure you did," the older, woman's voice replied sarcastically. The other made no response.

Chal moaned and rolled over, feeling the crinkly, almost papery doctor sheets over her. The pillow underneath her head was different too. She blinked, and everything was blurry. She lifted a heavy hand to wipe at her eyes, and she felt her lips and throat were dry. She tried to say something, but it came out as a cough.

A blurry figure, not becoming clearer, looked over at her. "Madame Pomfry, she's awake!"

"One patient at a time, Mister Marsters!" Came the reply.

Marsters? Chal thought groggily, trying to register what was happening. But the lights were so bright…Kadric Marsters?

"Kadric?" she finally managed.

"Aw, how sweet," came the sarcastic reply. "I was her first word. I better get the camera."

Chal growled. "Shush," she managed. She tried to sit up, but slipped down until she was on her back. "Water?" she asked, feeling stupid and like a useless child.

"On the bedside table."

Chal stayed silent. Was he stupid? She hadn't been able to sit up, let alone hold a glass of water to her lips.

"Why are you so quiet?" he asked.

Because I just woke up from a coma, Genius, she thought, but couldn't manage the comment. "Pour…It?" she asked, before coughing and hacking her lungs out. Kadric groaned in disgust.

"I'm not your maid, Ravenclaw! Drink it yourself."

Chal only grunted in response. Useless boys. "Why am I – I here?" she asked again, licking her lips so they weren't so dry. The reply was a sigh, and Chalondra looked over to see him sitting in a chair, a grimace on his handsome features. But there seemed to be dark circles under his eyes…

"Well, to start, you're in the hospital wing."

"Obviously," Chal managed to interrupt before coughing. Kadric frowned.

"And yesterday, you were in the hall, you were running for some unknown reason I tried to get out of you, but I couldn't because once you fell you acted like you were dying. You didn't reply to anything I said so finally I had to pick yo – get Madame Pomfry."

Chal was silent as the events she couldn't remember processed through her mind. "I was…Running?"

"That's what I said, isn't it?"

"Running…" she mumbled, trying to remember. And suddenly, it came racing back. The black figure, the wand, the job she had to do or be dead, all the lies, all the load…

But for some reason the thought wasn't AS exhausting as yesterday. She was still scared, yes, nervous, yes, but at least the few hours of sleep she had gotten came to use. "How long?" she asked again.

"Uh – two, three days?"

"Which _one_?"

"Three days, all right?" Kadric spat out. Chalondra grimaced.

"Long time. Wednesday?"

"Yea."

"Sorry," Chal coughed.

"What for?"

"Missed…Tutoring."

"Oh, I'm okay. Trust me, no need to worry," came the remark. Chal grimaced. Would he _ever_ change?

"Move, move, I need to see my patient!" Madame Pomfry snapped at Kadric. He willingly stood up, sending the chair flying. Blushing, he bent down to set it right.

"I'll – er – be going now," he mumbled. And without one single sarcastic comment, he nearly flew out of the hospital wing.

"Crazy boy," Madame Pomfry mumbled, feeling Chal's forehead and getting all sorts of instruments out of the bedside table.

"Water?" Chal suddenly asked. Pomfry nodded.

"Of course, of course…" She grabbed the glass and tipped some of it down Chal's throat, soothing it. She continued on with her story. "Don't know what's gotten into kids these days, waiting around night and day for you to wake up, skipping classes to stand outside the door…"

Chalondra spluttered. "He was waiting around HERE, for ME?"

"Well, yes. But he wouldn't let anyone see him. Odd, really. He seemed really worried though, always pacing when you didn't answer. He seemed to be mulling over what happened. Do you remember what happened?"

Chalondra lied once more and shook her head.

"Well, you were seriously over exhausted. Humans can only stand so much pressure, and then they just snap. You snapped a long time ago, but the effects came to haunt you three days ago, and you had a nervous breakdown, or collapse. If it hadn't been for Mister Marsters, you could have fallen into a serious coma that lasted for a long, LONG while. Thankfully, you got here just in time and I managed to scrape you back with the living." Pomfry fluffed out her sheets.

"You'll be weak for the next week or so. And take it easy, NOTHING stressful. Oh, and your other friends keep coming in to see you, but they're really loud. Can you tell them to be quieter next time? Now get some rest, and don't let that Mister Marsters back in, he'll fail all of his classes if he keeps skipping."

Without letting Chalondra answer, Pomfry walked off briskly to the next patient. Chal stared at the ceiling, thinking everything over. Why had Kadric stayed? He didn't care, did he? Of course not. He nearly hated her. He probably just wanted to make sure she was okay so he didn't get blamed for whatever had happened to Chalondra. Of course, that was it.

But why? Asked the nagging voice at the back of her head. Why did he REALLY stay?

Chal ignored it and went onto the topic of the black figure. There was no use in dwelling on what had happened, another useful tip from her mother. Might as well look to the future. That thing would probably keep coming, and Chal would probably have to keep meeting it, but she'd be prepared. If Kadric really, you know, DIDN'T hate her, it shouldn't be too hard to find out things about him. Besides, Chal was a genius! She could figure this out.

Chalondra suddenly felt too tired to think anymore. Although she had been sleeping for three days, she was told to take it easy. Well, the first lesson for that is sleeping. Chal let out a lion's yawn and snuggled deep under the sheets, closing her eyes tight. Tomorrow she'd try to get out of the hospital wing. She needed to ask Kadric a few things…

The last thing Chal saw before drifting off to sleep was Kadric's face, its usual smirk in place underneath the curved nose and twinkling hazel eyes. If only he were nicer…If only he really cared.

**A/N**: That was the most messed up chapter ever. Just to let my two readers know, YOU WILL LEARN MORE LATER. Don't ask. It will come. Hoped you liked it! Not enough Chal and Kadric, I know, but they both need their break. Heehee.


	11. Horrifically Awkward

It was Thursday morning. Chalondra was still hidden in the hospital wing, forcing her friends to bring her the homework she had to do for when she was out. The most she could do was hold a quill in her trembling fingers, and even then it was only for about two minutes. She hated how weak she was, and how much class time she was missing. She hated it!

And Kadric hadn't been back to visit her since that fiasco Wednesday morning.

He's probably busy, thought Chal, tapping the edge of her bed nervously. She had finished all of her homework at a snail's pace, but she was done. All her friends were outside enjoying the first snowfall, and Chalondra was cooped up inside a hospital wing with nothing but her thoughts to occupy her.

And they were all very, _very_ unpleasant. After all, who wants to sit around waiting quietly while on death's door? And she didn't know when that evil cloaked thing would come back to talk to her, but whenever it was she wasn't looking forward to it.

From behind Chalondra's curtain, (she had asked for it specifically to be put up.) she heard muffled voices, both sounding very angry.

"I'm sorry, but I cannot just let any student waltz into the hospital wing without a permission slip from a professor!"

"But it's my _free_ class! Where am I _supposed_ to get a permission slip, Madame Pomfry?"

"I don't know and I don't care, but my patients need their rest! Especially Miss Guarmagoz, the last few days have been terribly rough on her, and she NEEDS rest."

"I bet she's perfectly fine."

"Oh, are you the expert on our resident, Mister Marsters?"

Chalondra felt her stomach clench. Kadric! Kadric was here! But Madame Pomfry wasn't letting him in. So how could Chal get him to come in without seeming _too_ desperate?

"Madame Pomfry," she called feebly, coughing for emphasis. "Madame Pomfry," she repeated quietly. There were a few harsh mumbled words, and then Madame Pomfry strode in, her lips pursed and eye alight.

"Yes?" Madame Pomfry asked.

"Did I get my medicine? My bones feel so…tired…"

"I gave it to you."

"Was it enough?"

"Yes."

"But I'm still…so…so weak…"

"Augh!" cried Madame Pomfry, throwing her hands up. "Fine! I give up! I'll go get you your medicine, but you can't blame me if you sleep for the next two weeks _straight_!" She swerved around and marched out of the curtained room.

"Wait!" Chal called more strongly then she had wanted. Madame Pomfry turned around.

"Yes?"

"Who…who's out there?"

"No one," she snapped.

"But I heard a voice. Are you depriving me of the social interaction that I thrive on in such a vegetative state?"

Madame Pomfry fell silent. "But he's skipping _class_ to see you!"

"It's his free period Madame Pomfry."

Madame Pomfry raised a brow. "You seem very inclined to meet with this Slytherin, hmm?"

Chalondra felt herself blushing. "No way. I just owe him a thank you. You know, since he saved my life."

Madame Pomfry seemed to be calculating in her head desperately.

"Pleeease?" Chalondra asked quietly so Kadric wouldn't risk hearing the pleading in her voice.

"All right. But ONLY five minutes!" Madame Pomfry swished out and in a matter of moments, shoved a bewildered looking Kadric through the curtain and stomped off, muttering about medicine.

Soon it was completely silent except for the echoing steps of Madame Pomfry. Chalondra realized Kadric was still standing by the curtain wall, almost uncomfortable. One hand was running through his hair while the other fiddled with his robes. His eyes were on the floor.

"Well isn't this fun," Chalondra snapped, crossing her arms (A huge effort.). Kadric managed to glare at her.

"What, want to rub it in my face how I went soft and brought you here? Yea, I did. So what?" he snapped, eyes blazing. "I may be a Slytherin, but I'm not _inhuman_. It was the natural thing to do, all right? So don't gloat." He crossed his arms and glared at her, daring Chal to fight back.

"I just wanted to say thank you," she stated huffily, shifting uncomfortably underneath her sheets. "So thanks," Chal said icily, her blazing eyes equally matching Kadric's. Why did he have to be such a jerk anyway? Chal didn't understand the way her heart worked.

Kadric's eyes immediately changed. Now he looked almost – sorry? No. Impossible. "Oh," he managed, almost feebly. "Well, no problem."

"You can leave now," Chal snapped. "I don't want to accidentally _gloat_ or anything on how YOU saved MY life. You know, that would be so rude of me to thank you more and so on."

Kadric's mouth formed a tight line. "Why are you so bloody annoying anyway, Ravenclaw?"

"_Me?_" Chal said in a shrilly voice, getting lost in the two's petty argument. "_I'm_ the annoying one? Well excuse me Slytherin _Slime_, but it wasn't _me_ who kissed _you_ TWICE now, was it? NO. _I'm_ not the one who reads other people's private notes, or teases other people's friends for stupid reasons they SHOULDN'T. _I'm_ not the one who jumps to conclusions, and – and – "

Chal felt her heart beat quicken at an uncomfortably fast pace. She had been sitting up, but now she slacked off, sinking onto the stiff bed, her heart rate not slowing down, but speeding up. Her head was spinning slightly now, and she raised her weakened hands to hold her head tightly, her face grimacing.

"Chalondra?" Kadric asked, taking a tentative step closer. She didn't answer, because the question was faint in her mind. She gritted her teeth together. What was going on? She must have gotten to wound up again. Leave it to Kadric to give her a nervous breakdown again.

"P – P – Pomfry," she managed, everything blinking in yellow dots. "Pomfry!" she cried louder, and she heard Kadric's footsteps pound away.

Just when Chal was falling out of consciousness, she felt something cool touch her lips, something tilting her head back, and then a cooling liquid running down her throat. A few moments later she blinked, the objects fuzzy. But in a few seconds everything cleared, but now she had a pounding headache.

"Chalondra!" Madame Pomfry scowled. "I'm surprised at you! After I specifically told you not to get wound up, you DO! I TOLD you you're still weak, so do _not _get stressed!" Madame Pomfry threw her hands into the air once more, exasperated. "If I have to tell you again…"

"Madame Pomfry?" asked a voice. Both Chal and Pomfry turned to see Kadric standing there, once again nervous looking. But he managed to say coolly, "it was my fault, not Chal's. I accidentally egged her on. I know I shouldn't have, but…"

"I knew it!" shrieked Pomfry. "I shouldn't have let you see her in the first place! Out! Out!"

"Madame Pomfry, it wasn't my fault -," Kadric started.

"OUT!" Pomfry ordered, eyes flaring. Kadric cowered slightly – even the bravest man would have at a look like that.

Chal's mind was whirring, when something completely random popped into her head. _Tutoring._

"Madame Pomfry," Chal suddenly blurted in her sweetest voice. Madame Pomfry turned around apprehensively.

"Yes?"

"Um…there's one class that I'm falling behind in because of being in the hospital wing."

From behind Pomfry Chal saw Kadric's eyebrows fly past his bangs in a look of surprise. Chal hurried on, blushing like mad. "You see, it's Herbology. It's never been my strong spot, and, well, the Slytherin here is tutoring me. Do you think he could stay, only to tutor me? I _desperately _hate getting behind in my work, and my friends have been bringing all my other homework. That's why he came today – to tutor. But then we got off on the wrong foot. So can he stay to teach me, please?"

Madame Pomfry narrowed her eyes in Chal's direction. Chal blinked nervously. Why did Pomfry always make her feel so nervous, anyway? Kadric stood silently behind the nurse.

"Fine," Pomfry decided. "But if you stress yourself over school work, this _boy_ is never coming up again."

"I promise Madame Pomfry," Chal said hurriedly. "I'm very serious about my schoolwork."

"She is," Kadric piped up. Pomfry glared at him, and he quieted.

"I'll leave you two then," Pomfry decided turning around and pushing the curtain back to walk through, mumbling something about going to Dumbledore about this.

A familiar silence followed her exit.

"So how come you wanted me to stay?" Kadric asked, a smirk planted firmly on his face. Chal stuck her tongue out at him and sat up shakily to grab her books (which were sadly placed within a hands reach on her bedside table.).

"Because you obviously had something to tell me. Why _else _would you come?"

Kadric walked over and pulled up the visitor's chair. "What, a guy can't come say hello to his student?"

Chal gritted her teeth. "Don't push it pal," she warned, but Kadric just smiled.

"What're you going to do in this weak state, anyway? Poke me to death?"

Chal only grimaced. "Pass me my quill please." Kadric did so in the silence as Chal opened her book.

"So why'd you come anyway?" Chal asked, shutting her book only seconds after opening it. "You obviously didn't come to check up on me, considering you could probably care less about me. So spill."

Kadric's ears turned slightly pink, his eyes narrowed. "Fine. I wanted to know why you fainted the other day."

Chal bit her lip, stomach shrinking. "Um…exhaustion?" she suggested, nervously opening the book again. Why did she have to ask why he came anyway?

"That's obvious," Kadric snapped. "But what was exhausting you anyway? I know it couldn't be tutoring. I remember you used to do projects bigger than this outside of class without a problem."

"How would _you_ know if wasn't any problem?" Chal asked bitterly. "You only bothered to talk to me so you could tease me."

Kadric winced. "True. Fine. Okay. Let's avoid that and continue. Why?"

Chal sighed. "Because it's harder to tell secrets to my friends for me then it is for you, probably. My friends were beginning to get suspicious, I'm behind in my homework, and I haven't gotten sleep in a while." Not to mention you kissed me TWICE and I don't know what you mean by it, Chal thought painfully.

"Nothing else?" Kadric asked in a warning tone.

Yes, Chal thought. Yes, I'm being stalked by an evil man and he wants me to find out almost everything there is about you. "No," Chal said bitterly. "Why do you _care_ anyway? Don't worry, I'll be able to make tutoring for whatever purposes it has for you."

Chal could see the tension on Kadric's face. "That's not why I came, all right? When I grabbed you, you were all, well, limp and really white and stuff. You looked almost dead, what with your black hair against the white skin and such. It was really creepy, especially since you just kind of fell out of nowhere. So really, I – er – DID want to check on you."

Chal began to blush as Kadric avoided his eyes. "Why?" she asked.

Kadric's head shot up faster than you could say 'Veela.' "You're pushing it," he warned. Chal grinned teasingly.

"Why, do you looove me?"

Kadric's eyes widened into a horrified expression. "Oh God, please don't burden me with such a suicide-inducing thought."

Chal giggled. "It'd be even worse for me," she said matter-of-factly.

"Why? At least I'm handsome, charming, and perfect in every singly way."

"Yea, except for that you can't make a potion worth sickles and you have that whole bully problem to sort out."

Kadric flapped a hand at her. "Please, those are minor imperfections."

Chal could only smile as she flipped to the last page she had read in her text book. "Sorry to ruin this delightful conversation, but if we don't start on my tutoring Madame Pomfry will have our heads on a platter."

Kadric nodded. "How come you wanted to be tutored NOW anyway?"

Chal rolled her eyes. "Because it's _school_ work, Kadric! I can't miss out on anything, no matter what's happened to me." Kadric rolled his eyes.

"Fine, fine. Okay, so what do you need help on in this chapter?" he asked suddenly, bending closer to get a better look at the book on Chal's lap. She turned it at an angle so the two could both see it if they craned their heads inward.

"The part about photosynthesis with Mandrake's. I mean, how does it work if these plants are pretty much like kids?"

Kadric gave a cynical smile. "Well, they obviously have leaves, right?"

Chal grew red in the face as she bent closer to the page to scan the paragraphs. "But somewhere here it said something about how their photosynthesis worked, and it was different than normal…"

Kadric sighed. "You mean here under the 'Photosynthesis' section?" He bent closer as Chal gave a disgruntled noise, his finger tracing through the paragraph. Chal bent closer as well, trying to read what he was. The two were almost ear and ear, until Chal felt his hair brush against the side of her head.

She froze, her body unable to respond to her frantic mental cries of 'Back up! You're too close!' Kadric didn't seem to notice right away though and continued to read, until a wisp of Chal's black hair fell from behind her ear and grazed gently against the side of his face.

Chal watched through her frozen eyes as Kadric tensed up even more than Chal. He cocked his head slightly to the left to look up at Chal. She could clearly see his eyes were wider than normal. "We're a bit close, aren't we Ravenclaw?" Kadric asked in an innocent voice. Chal was still frozen, and could only manage a tense smile that involved her upper lip curling, making it look more sinister than intended.

"Um…," she said through locked teeth, backing up as quickly as her body would let her…which was slowly. For once, Kadric wasn't smiling his smirk. Chal wasn't smiling either. In fact, she was far from it. Her heart was racing and she was feeling weaker than she had since she had fainted.

Neither one moved for a moment. Both were at eye level and neither would look away, their noses only inches away from each other. Chal was beginning to feel very uncomfortable, and hoped Kadric was as well. This was just weird. So WHY wasn't she looking away?

"Well this is fun," Kadric said cheerfully, despite the fact he wasn't blinking. Chal couldn't pull herself away from those blasted eyes that were so mesmerizing.

Chal couldn't say anything. What _could_ she say? Yes? No, because it WASN'T fun. It was anything but fun. It was horrifically awkward.

Something was happening behind the curtain – another visitor or something. But Chal didn't really notice. All she noticed was that she and Kadric were being pulled closer and closer by some fateful invisible force that she couldn't fight. Kadric was looking more serious then Chal had ever seen him…ever.

Chalondra and Kadric were so close now…she could hear his steady breathing; see even more into his swirling eyes hiding so many things…

Their lips brushed lightly together, and Chal felt her heart race. This was different then before – he wasn't doing this just to shut her up. _Finally_.

Before anything else could happen, the curtain was drawn back quickly. "Chal, I brought your transfiguration homework – HOLY TOLEDO!" Kate's familiar voice interrupted the two, causing them to bounce as far away from each other as possible. Chal blushed under her friend's intense gaze, which at the moment was popped out eyeballs and a hanging mouth. Kadric had reacted so suddenly his chair had gone flying, taking him with it as it fell. His cloak was tangled up in the legs, and he hurriedly fidgeted with it until it became loose, his hands clearly fumbling with shakiness. He stood up shakily and gave Chalondra something like a scared look. And then he was gone, running out the door like a frightened rabbit.

Chal's expression was almost equal to Kate. How could he just run OFF like that? What a _jerk_!

"Um. Chal. We need to talk." Kate's voice was barely above a whisper. Chal, even more red then before, noticed her books on the floor.

"Er, you dropped my books," Chal said meekly. Kate flapped a hand in the direction of the books and ran over to the side of Chal's bed.

"I don't care about books. Did I just see you and KADRIC, well, you know…Chal, and he's a Slytherin! An EVIL Slytherin who teased you for pretty much your whole existence at Hogwarts! And what was he doing here anyway? Oh my gosh Chal this is TERRIBLE! He's got you under the spell! Chal, I thought you were more sensible, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh…"

Chal put a finger to her lips, brow furrowed. "Kate! Shut up!" she hissed. "We're not the only ones in this hospital wing, you know!" As calm as Chal was acting, she felt empty inside. What had Kate seen? Had she seen them kind of kiss or just super close together? "First of all Kate, _what_ did you see?"

"I saw you and that Slytherin really close, and – and –," Kate stammered, eyes widening. "Chal, which is just EW!"

"Kate," Chal said in a warning tone. "Kate, stop it. He was only here because he's the one who brought me here when I fainted, okay? He told me he was the only one in the hallway when I _did_ faint. That's all. He was just pointing out something I had on my face," Chal lied suddenly. Kate snorted.

"Chalondra, are you serious? I know you better than that. Please. You and Kadric are _together_!" she whispered painfully. Chal's eyes widened.

"Kate, you've performed one too many charms today. Me and a Slytherin TOGETHER? Kate. Ew. You know I hate Kadric, he teased me FOREVER! I wouldn't possibly do anything more than thank him for saving my life. Kate, you're a loser."

Kate sighed. "Chal, it just…it didn't look good."

"Kate, I don't care what you saw, it isn't what you think. And don't go telling anyone lies, all right? Just keep this to yourself, because you saw it all wrong. I hate Kadric. Hate. Him. Just, stop it, okay? You're getting way too ahead of yourself."

_Please, please, please go away Kate. Please don't tell anyone. Please believe me when I'm lying to you. Please._

Kate bit her lower lip. "Well, I AM late for Charms…"

"Yea, you better hurry. You're NOT missing a single class because of me and your hallucinations." Chal pointed to the door. "Out."

Kate got up unsteadily and began walking for the door. "Oh, and Kate?" Her friend turned around at Chal's shaky voice. "Not a word, okay? Not a _word_."

Kate nodded hurriedly, and then scampered out of the hospital wing.

But not before Chal saw something like a green Slytherin cloak vanish from the open crack of the hospital door. Kadric had been listening.

"Oh, GREAT," Chal muttered, flopping down so her head rested on the pillow. "Just _wonderful_. My best friend almost discovers one of the most secret things in my life as well as ruining it, and then Kadric hears me talk about how much I hate him when I don't." She slapped her forehead with the palms of her hands.

"Not to mention I'm being followed by a stalker. Great, great, great," she moaned sarcastically.

And yet, as everything terrible whirled through her mind, something giddy emerged. Kadric had, well, almost voluntarily kissed her. And Chal hadn't been jabbering on and on or anything, so he can't use the shut up excuse for that one! But he would probably never talk to her again…not after hearing she hated him, when she didn't.

"Life is _not_ fair," she moaned. "Just when something good happens, something else terrible comes and outweighs it." Chal stayed silent for a few minutes. "If Kate tells anyone, she's a dead woman."


	12. The Second Meeting

_One week later…_

Chal trotted down the hall, getting used to the feeling of using her legs. For so long she had sat in a bed in the hospital wing, cramping her legs and still hounding her friends for homework. Well, everyone except Kate. Kate hadn't been to see her since…_it _happened. She trusted that her friend hadn't told anyone about the close encounter of her and Kadric, because all of her friends acted normal. Wait – Yoyo hadn't come either…oh right. That's because she was busy studying for a huge test. So really, only Tali and Danny had come to visit her, and a few other Ravenclaw's Chal knew.

Kadric hadn't come either.

I didn't expect him to, she thought miserably as she checked her watch. She had potions right now. Joy. She'd get to see Kadric. How absolutely pleasant. He probably told all of his friends about how he tricked this gullible Ravenclaw into kissing him.

Because that's what I did, Chal realized for the five hundredth time. I kissed Kadric – willingly. No, that is _so_ wrong.

_One week earlier…_

"Yoyo?" The said girl sat in front of her mirror, brushing her silky black hair.

"Yea Kate?" she asked, concentrating on the task at hand.

"There's no one else in here, right?" Yoyo looked up to see her friend standing awkwardly in the entrance of their dormitory, looking around with something like a confused expression on her face. Yoyo shrugged.

"I don't think so…" she was silent. "Hey, anyone here?" she cried. No answer. "There you go," Yoyo told Kate, trying to smile; the expression on Kate's face caused her to worry though.

"Okay, good." The tall girl strode into the room, sitting down on Yoyo's bed beside the mirror. For a while she was silent, only holding her head in her hands and tapping her foot nervously. Yoyo let her think for a while. It was how Kate handled things.

"I saw something in the hospital wing that's…a bit…disturbing."

Yoyo stopped primping momentarily to blink at her friend. "Disturbing? How?"

"Well, I went to see Chal because, you know, she's been in there for so long. Anyway, the curtain was drawn, so I assumed she was asleep. I was slipping through to give her her books, and – and - ," Kate paused making random motions in the air with a helpless look on her face. "And I saw her and…and…"

She stopped. Instead, Kate sighed heavily. "Look, you probably don't care."

"No, I do!" Yoyo was sitting on the edge of her seat, waiting for the juicy gossip. "What happened?"

"There was…there was a Slytherin. You know, the bully? Kadric?"

"Yea, I do," Yoyo replied quickly, feeling her stomach tense up. Just because he had shot her down didn't mean she still didn't like him.

"Well they were - she was, I mean, he was…I don't know!" Kate threw her hands up into the air. "Do you promise not to tell?"

"Yes," Yoyo said sharply, knowing this was going in a bad direction. Hurry."

"They were…you know…_it_."

Yoyo sighed. "Kate, just spill it!"

"THEY WERE KISSING!" cried the frazzled girl, standing up. "Chalondra was kissing a filthy, slimy Slytherin! They HATE each other, they DO! They MUST…" Kate flopped down on the bed, unknowing to the effect her words had had on Yoyo. The Asian girl sat on her chair, stunned. Her brush fell from her grasp, and her thoughts started to fly. Is that why Chal had been so keen to keep Yoyo away from Kadric? Were they together? Why was he visiting her? How could she do this to Yoyo? She KNEW Yoyo liked him, she KNEW! Yoyo stood up angrily, fuming.

"I'll see you later, Kate," Yoyo muttered stiffly.

"Wait, you won't tell, right?" Kate asked suddenly. Yoyo shook her head.

"Of course not." How could I tell something so terrible? She asked herself. With that, she strode out of the room, trembling from head to toe.

_Present…_

Chalondra slipped into the potion classroom earlier than most people. The room was empty except for one or two Ravenclaw – she wasn't expecting the Slytherins to join them until just at the bell.

Chal smiled as she saw Yoyo sitting in her usual seat, writing swiftly on a piece of parchment. Her stomach twisted painfully at the sight of her friend though. She had betrayed Yoyo, and she felt terrible. Would she ever tell her, though? Probably not. No, probably not.

"Hey Yoyo!" Chal greeted, sitting down beside her. Yoyo only shrugged, and continued to write. Chal watched her, brow furrowed, for a few moments, until she gave up and opened her book. She glanced back at Yoyo, and coughed to get her interest. Yoyo paused, but continued to scribble down on her parchment. Chalondra felt very uncomfortable, so she craned her neck to try and see what Yoyo was doing. "What're you writing?" she asked. Yoyo glared at her, and held her hand up like a shield against the writing.

"Stuff," she snapped back, and then scribbled furiously. Chal had a sickening feeling that Yoyo was writing something about her.

"What's stuff?" she asked pleasantly.

"You wouldn't want to know," Yoyo predicted ominously. Chal looked at her nervously, thoughts flying. Had Yoyo figured out? How? How would Yoyo…

And then it hit her. Chal felt like she was going to be sick. With a sickening sound, she stood up abruptly, her chair screeching back. Yoyo only glared at her, but Chal didn't see. Without any warning she ran out of the classroom, up the dungeon stairs and out into the Entrance Hall, heading for the main doors. She was going to faint. No, she was going to die. Yoyo know about it, and now Yoyo hated her. WHY did she let her infatuation get away with her? Why? Why? _Why?_

She slammed a door open, stumbling out and down the stone steps, sobbing as she tripped over her cloak. On the last step her shoe caught on the hem and she went flying in the air, screaming; only to be caught by an unsuspecting Kadric.

"Hey!" he cried, clutching onto her tightly out of instinct. "Watch it!"

But Chal didn't pay any attention. She only sobbed into his shoulder, holding onto the fabric of his cloak for dear life. "She knows!" she cried miserably, still sobbing.

Kadric glanced around hurriedly, glad to see the rest of his class had gone in already from Herbology. No one had to know he had stayed behind to find out the latest mark on his test.

"What are you talking about?" Kadric muttered through clenched teeth.

"She knows!" Chal cried again into his cloak. "Kate told…Kate told…"

Chalondra felt Kadric stiffen. "You don't mean…"

"YES!" Chal cried, suddenly realizing how hard she was gripping onto Kadric. She pulled away suddenly, shocked to feel his hands around her waist. But those snapped back almost immediately as Chal pulled away. Sniffing, Chal rubbed at her eyes.

"Look, we can't exactly have this conversation by the main doors," Kadric muttered hurriedly. "Can we maybe go somewhere else?"

"I c-c-can't skip p-p-potions!" Chal cried in horror. "Are you c-c-crazy?"

Without giving her an answer Kadric grabbed her arm, pulling her into a nearby archway that led to one of the gardens tended to by Professor Sprout. Thankfully, no one was there.

"Now," Kadric stated sternly, not even realizing his hand was still tightly holding Chal's arm. "Tell me what's going on."

Chalondra sniffed again, rubbing at her eyes before speaking. "Y-Yoyo was mad at me in potions today, and I didn't know why…"

"Wait," Kadric interrupted. "Is Yoyo that girl who likes me? Y? On the note?"

Chalondra glared at him. "_Shut. Up,_" she ordered. Kadric shut his mouth tersely.

"So anyway, I didn't understand at first. And of course, I was all nervous because of…well, you know," Chalondra paused, blushing, then continued, "so I thought maybe she found out. And then I remembered that Kate had—er—seen it, so I'm afraid that Kate told Yoyo." Chal felt her bottom lip start to tremble again. Stay calm, she ordered mentally. Stay calm, and he can't make fun of you. Stay calm, and he can't tell you the kiss was all a joke and he was waiting for a reaction like this. Stay calm…

Kadric blanched. "You mean your friend, Kathy or whatever, _told_ people?" he whispered hoarsely. "Like, _everyone?_"

Chalondra bit her lip. "I don't know…" She stopped, looking up at him suspiciously. "Wait. Why do you care who she told? Wasn't it some kind of joke you were doing so you could tell all your little friends about how you managed to trick me?"

Kadric's brow furrowed. "What are you talking about?" he asked grumpily. "It wasn't a—um—joke."

Chalondra felt a mixture of relief and worry. "So you mean we…um, did that…?"

"All on our own?" Kadric finished, his ears turning red. "Yea, 'fraid so."

"Oh great," Chalondra moaned, stamping her foot. "Just _great._ My one friend hates me, the other thinks I'm crazy, and I kissed a Slytherin voluntarily!" Chal threw her hands up in the air, exasperated. "Could this day _possibly _get any worse?" She rounded on Kadric. "Don't you answer that," she snapped.

Kadric held up his hands defensively. "Hey, I wasn't going to. I would much rather pretend it didn't happen and go on hating you with ease."

"But—what—you did it before!" Chalondra hissed, standing up so she was within two inches of his face. "You did it before all on your own! Why do you care about _this_ one?"

Kadric sighed and stuck out his hand, counting off on his fingers. "One, no one was there the first time. Two, it was just to shut you up. How long will it take you to realize that? Why are you even in Ravenclaw?"

Chalondra started to stammer and stutter in anger. Kadric hurried on.

"THREE," he said loudly to drown out Chalondra's angry spurtings in Spanish, "Your nice little friend is going to tell everyone, which will cause me to lose my popularity _drastically,_ and four…" his sentence trailed off and he gazed over at the wall behind Chalondra so he wouldn't have to look at her. "Four," he repeated quietly, "I actually—er—kissed you. You know, in a non-evil way."

Chalondra's jaw dropped. "Okay, so you have some reasons. But they all _stink._ Except for the last one, because I don't understand that either!" Chal moaned, hiding her face in her hands. "_What_ is going on?" she asked the air. Kadric sighed heavily.

"I was hoping you'd tell me, what with your overly large brain and all."

"Kadric!" Chal cried angrily.

"All right! All right! Your somewhat overly large brain."

Chalondra groaned. "I have to face Kate tonight. She'll ask me about it. Yoyo will write things about it." Chal managed to look at him in the face. "Face it," she told him, "people are going to find out."

Kadric felt his insides shrivel. "Do they _have _to?"

"No," Chal replied. "But they're going to anyway."

Chalondra paced the Ravenclaw common room nervously, tapping her fingernails together as she thought. "Okay," she began. "I skipped potions to talk to a Slytherin, my best friend thinks I'm psycho, my other best friend hates me, and I kissed a Slytherin. It's not THAT bad, right?" she asked herself, laughing at the idea of it not being that bad. "Oooh, it's terrible!"

Chal looked at the clock. Still dinner time. Everyone would be back soon though. Then she would have to face everyone.

"Excuse me…"

Chalondra whipped around to see a familiar, young girl with nervous hands and downcast eyes. Chalondra felt her stomach heave. No God, please not her. She had enough to deal with already…

"What?" she snapped.

"He—He wants to see you again. In the same place."

With a cry of aggravation, Chalondra threw a dirty look at the young girl, who took a frightened step backwards. Not even realizing how mean she had just been, Chal stomped over to the exit, slamming the door behind her.

Chalondra saw the tapestry from a long ways away. She paused, remembering this was where she had collapsed. Where Kadric had saved her. A blush rose to her cheeks and Chalondra hurried on, her hands shaking nervously inside the pockets of her robes.

She stood outside the tapestry awkwardly, not knowing what to do. Finally, the voice answered for her.

"Glad to see you've made it," it stated coldly. "Now get in."

Chalondra pulled back the tapestry and stepped in lightly, feeling slightly ill at the familiar sight of the man cloaked in black.

"So…tell me, Ravenclaw. I have heard you had a slight…interruption in our plans?"

"Thanks to you," Chal said automatically.

"Oh really?" he asked stiffly. "How so?"

"You pressured me. I exploded," Chalondra snapped. "Now look, if you want more information on Kadric--,"

"Actually, I do," he said darkly. "Do tell."

"I have none," Chal stated hurriedly. "None whatsoever, I mean I've been in the hospital wing nearly this whole time--,"

"Tell me what you know so FAR," the voice hissed, and Chalondra stooped low, feeling her body tremble again. This was bad for Kadric, she just knew it. But why did she care? Well, she liked him, but not THAT much. But did she hate him enough to risk his life?

"I—I know he likes Herbology," she mumbled. "And he…he doesn't like people to know private things…"

"Like what?"

"I don't know," Chalondra mumbled, wringing her hands nervously. Like kissing? She asked herself, but stayed silent.

"Tell me girl!" the man roared. Chalondra cringed.

"Like what he does in his private time! What do you care anyway?" Chalondra cried equally as loud. "Can't you just leave me alone?"

"No," he said coolly. "In fact, you're the only one who can tell me anything at all."  
"And why's that?" Chal asked stubbornly. The right hand of the cloaked man suddenly poked out of the robes, cupping her chin as the cloak came closer. Chalondra grimaced at the hand; it was pale, thin, and scaly. She wanted to gag, but her thoughts were interrupted by his voice.

"Because you know him best," he growled, and Chal smelled something rank from beneath the hood.

"I barely know him!"

"Oh, I think not," he whispered, withdrawing his hand back into the cloak and taking a step away, much to the relief of Chalondra. "I think you know him…_rather _well."

Gee, does _everyone_ know about the kiss? Chalondra asked herself nervously.

"Look," she began, "I can maybe find out his schedule or something, but I'm a little busy right now. Could you wait…"

"No!" The man hissed. "I cannot wait! I need information immediately! I need to know about this Kadric! He is powerful, is he not?"

"Er—I don't know!" Chal cried suspiciously. "WHY do you care?"

The man fell silent, as if he were thinking out his next words. "We—I—need him for something. Something very important. And only you can inform me. But if you mess up in any way, any way at all, I swear I will come back to haunt you."

Chal's bottom lip trembled. "Mess up? How?"

"Trying to tell him," the voice rumbled quietly. "Trying to let him know he isn't safe. I will know. And I will send you both to be killed. And your little friends too. But," the man suddenly said in mock thought, "you're not exactly close with your friends right now, are you?"

Chalondra gave a cry of anguish and finally pulled back the tapestry, bolting out and running down the corridor, her whole body shaking dangerously. How did he know? HOW did he know? That was just creepy; insane.

"You can come back next week," the voice called eerily from behind Chalondra. She tried to shut it down, but nothing happened. "I'll send for you."

Chalondra had managed to get to the common room before dinner was over and scuttle back to the dormitory to mull things over. But she didn't have much time and fell into a painful, nightmare-ridden sleep.

The next morning she trudged off to Defense Against the Dark Arts, where Kate would surely start to interrogate her. With a heavy sigh Chalondra walked into the classroom to see it already bustling with students and Professor Windex at the front, shuffling papers with his white hands.

Chalondra trudged to the front desk where she usually sat, between Kate and Yoyo. She saw Yoyo was sitting in the back today, and Kate was sitting nervously, tapping her foot in an impatient sort of way. Chalondra tried her hardest to sit in her desk quietly, but Kate immediately heard her and whirled around.

"Chalondra, what is _wrong _with you? Did I see what I really think? Yoyo's fuming now, she told me all about it and how you knew. How COULD you Chalondra? Since when are you and Kadric on speaking terms anyway?"

"Kate," Chalondra started in a warning voice. "Don't even talk about it, all right?"

Kate was about to argue back, when quiet Professor Windex called the class to attention.

"All right class," he began in his timid, frail voice. "I have your previous exams right here. Mister Callahan, if you please…?"

A boy stood up in the back to pass out the tests, and Chalondra thought about her tutoring that she would have to attend later that evening. She wasn't looking forward to it.

Soon, the class had their exams, and everyone was comparing scores. But Chalondra had nothing in front of her. With a resigned sigh Chalondra stood up and headed to Professor Windex's desk.

"Excuse me, Professor?" she asked politely, hoping to get his attention away from what he was writing on the board.

"Oh!" he cried, turning around and giving her a timid smile. "Yes?"

"I was wondering what happening to my exam?"

"Ah. Yours was at the bottom of the pile. I'm afraid I had no time to mark it, as I just did it this morning." He checked a little book on his desk suddenly. "But I have—ah—some appointments this week so I'm a little busy." He gave her a small, worried smile, and Chalondra couldn't help but smile back, although she really wanted her test score and was slightly frustrated at his lack of motivation.

"You can come back next week," he suddenly said, his voice a little louder and deeper than normal. Chalondra felt her body numb. That sentence…that sentence and that…that voice… "I'll send for you."

Chalondra let her mouth drop open. The Professor smiled at her in a normal way, then stopped at the look on her face. "Er—you better sit down," he told her politely, and Chalondra nodded like a stiff board. Turning around, she sat down at her desk; hard.

Professor Windex had just said the same sentence that had haunted her down the corridor.

"_You can come back next week…I'll send for you."_

Chalondra sat numbly at the Herbology table, listening to Kadric drone on and on about some plant or other Chal could really care less about at the moment.

"Kadric?" she suddenly asked, coming out of her stupor. Kadric looked up from his paper.

"Yea?"

"I thought you said notes were useless," she said, pointing at the paper he held that was covered in notes that he was reading. "Didn't you say you were a hands on sort of person?"

Kadric shrugged airily. "Oh—well—I just thought notes were a little safer, you know?"

"Kadric, seeing a plant isn't going to send me into shock again or anything!"

"You think I'm talking about _you?_" Kadric asked. "I was talking about _me._ I mean, don't you remember that Devil's Snare accident?"

Chalondra rolled her eyes and set her head in her hands, falling into the familiar feeling of zoning out at Kadric's monotonous voice. This is so boring, she told herself. And I guess I'll need to ask him some questions soon. But I don't _want_ to!

"Chalondra? Chalondra!" A hand shaking her arm jerked Chalondra back into reality.

"What?" she asked stupidly, rubbing her eyes tiredly.

"You just fell asleep! That's not something you normally do."

Chalondra shrugged. "Since when do you care?" she asked rather sloppily. She looked over to see Kadric looking at her with something like…concern? No way. Now he was just watching her in an amused sort of way.

"Since when do you judge?" he asked quietly. Chalondra felt stupid at his statement and blushed.

"Uh—sorry. I just, I don't know. I'm tired. Tired, tired, tired," she moaned, hoping he wouldn't get suspicious. "And you're a very boring reader."

"What?" Kadric asked, feigning shock. "My reading skills are enough to excite an audience of ten _thousand,_ thank you!"

Chalondra snorted. "Okay," she gave in, not wanting to start one of their usual arguments. "Just…just give a sheet or something to work on."

Kadric nodded slightly, gazing at her curiously. As Chalondra reached across the table for a quill, her hand was stopped by Kadric's. Immediately her entire face grew as red as a tomato, and her gaze was stuck stupidly on Kadric's hand on top of hers.

"Chalondra," he began quietly, forcing her to look into his eyes, which were startlingly close, "what's wrong?"

Chalondra could tell he was actually worried, or else he wouldn't have grabbed her crawling hand like that. Blushing, she mumbled something incoherent. He frowned.

"What?"

"Er—you don't need to worry. Friend problems, you know…"

Kadric suddenly sat back in his chair, running a hand through his hair. "Is it because of…"

"Yea," Chal said hurriedly. "But don't--,"

"I hate to admit it, but…" Kadric grew slightly pink. "I feel like it's almost my fault."

"YOUR fault?" Chalondra asked rather loudly. "Are you crazy? It was both of us! Don't worry about it! Just, look, where's that sheet?" Chalondra fumbled around for a few moments, feeling terribly slow under Kadric's gaze.

"What?" she finally snapped at him, finding the quill and pulling it towards her.

"Nothing," Kadric said quietly. But Chal knew something was wrong, and she hated to think Kadric was actually worried about her. Kadric didn't worry about her. He didn't _care _about her. And Chalondra wanted it to stay that way. Most definitely.

But as she set to work on the sheet of questions Kadric had given her, Chalondra felt her face warm up again for no apparent reason. She was remembering the feeling of when Kadric's hand had been on top of hers, and he hadn't even cared. He didn't seem to worry that he had just touched a Ravenclaw after a very awkward kiss. That warm, fluttery feeling overtook Chalondra again, and at the same time of wishing he would hate her forever, Chalondra also wished he wouldn't.


	13. Hogsmeade Visit 1

It was the first week of December, and the last Hogsmeade trip of that year. At least until the New Year. Chalondra had managed to avoid Kate, who was hounding her like the plague, and Yoyo didn't even bother to come near Chalondra, so she had no trouble there. She felt like she was going to crack again, and knew she should pay a visit to the hospital wing before Christmas and see if they had any Soothing Draught.

Right now though, Chalondra was digging through her trunk to find her gold and blue scarf, warm woolen mittens and a blue woolen toque. Grabbing them all she hurriedly reached for her purse of coins and her wand, tucking them into her robes pocket. Finally she glanced around the room out of instinct. Ever since the one day when Kate had begun to question her in Defense Against the Dark Arts, Chalondra always managed to sneak into the dormitory either before or after everyone was there and asleep, and managed to wake up before anyone else broke a grunt. She always cast nervous glances around the room before and after she left or entered. The rest of her time Chal spent in classes and the library, knowing she shouldn't isolate herself. But it was the only thing she could think of doing. Luckily Tali still chatted with her, but she was most often in the common room, which Chal avoided at all costs these days. The only person she ever really talked to anymore was Kadric, and that was only during tutoring, and even then Chal barely spoke. She knew Kadric was suspicious and often asked what was wrong with her lately, but Chalondra could never find an appropriate answer. She didn't know _what_ was wrong with her lately, apart from the fact that she was being stalked by an evil man, which was what haunted her these days.

A sudden commotion from the common room brought Chalondra to her senses, and she hurriedly walked to the dormitory door. She was just about to grab the handle when it opened on its own, showing Yoyo all ready to go standing in its wake.

"Oh—er—hi," Chal muttered feebly. Yoyo ignored her and strode into the dormitory, shoving past her rather violently. Chalondra bit her angry tongue and whirled around to face Yoyo, who was now digging in her trunk. "Yoyo, I'm sorry, all right? I don't know what you want from me, but you keep ignoring me! I just want to tell you that--," Chalondra was cut off by an angry Yoyo.

"Tell me what? That you liked him all along and that you WANTED to kiss him? That you WANTED to hurt me even more?"

"Yoyo, he hates you! When you asked him out, remember? I don't understand! And I DON'T like him! I _don't!_ He was the only one in the hall that was there, so he brought me to the Hospital Wing! I don't know what happened, I don't! Just please…" Chalondra stopped, on the verge of tears. She let out a great big sob and rubbed at her eyes. Yoyo looked at her with very little, if any, sympathy.

"Oh, why don't you just go buy your new boyfriend a present at Hogsmeade?" she spat, slamming the lid on her trunk closed. "Quit trying to make amends, because it won't work."

"Yoyo!" Chalondra cried desperately. "If you'd just _listen_--,"

"And what?" Yoyo asked, her voice quivering dangerously. "Listen to what you and Kadric have been up to lately? How you planned to break my heart twice?"

"I DIDN'T MEAN TO!" Chalondra shrieked angrily, sending Yoyo back a step. "I HATE HIM! DIDN'T YOU SEE ME ARGUING WITH HIM AFTER? DIDN'T YOU SEE?"

Yoyo shook her head stubbornly. "No. But I bet you liked being close to him, didn't you?"

"_Yoyo!_" Chalondra cried again, but her friend was already past her and out the door, joining the rest of the students in the Entrance Hall.

"I hate this," she muttered darkly, slamming the door shut behind her. "I hate this very, very, much."

The air was nippy and cold as Chalondra trudged through Hogsmeade all alone. Wrapping her scarf tighter around her neck, Chalondra looked at her list of Christmas presents to give. She was still going to buy one for all her friends, just in case.

Kate? Check. Tali? Check. Danny? Check. Yoyo? Check. If she ever forgave her, that is. Mom and Dad? Check. Little sister and older brother? Check and check.

Chalondra stuffed the note into her bag of presents, standing in the middle of village like a lost soul. She had one more store to go to, but she had no idea which. Yoyo had given her an idea, even if it had meant to hurt. Chalondra was going to buy a present for Kadric. Just a thanks-for-tutoring-me gift. She hoped he wouldn't laugh at her, which he probably would anyway, and rubbed at her arms for warmth. Snow covered the ground, and all the students around her crunched through the snow on their way to stores and The Three Broomsticks. Chalondra would go there after, but first she needed to get his gift.

Now, what could he want? Chalondra thought slowly, feeling giddy at the thought of giving him a gift. I'm sure he's probably bought out Zonko's. And besides, he doesn't seem the type to do pranks a lot. Dervish and Banges doesn't have anything of interest…I've got it!

"Honeydukes," Chalondra murmured to herself, walking quickly in the direction of the sweets store.

Inside, Chalondra mulled over the candy. For some reason, she felt the nagging voice telling her to get the perfect gift. She had to be super picky, just so it would save her from relentless teasing. "Oh, I don't know what he likes!" she moaned, stamping her foot in a frustrated way. "I guess I'll just have to give him a thank you or something." Sighing heavily, Chalondra made her way through the crowd of children towards the door. Just as she was pushing it open, she heard a familiar voice from behind her.

"Sugar mice? That's disgusting," Kadric said loudly, just so the shopkeeper could hear. His friends giggled loudly, and Chalondra felt some sort of power drawing her back into the store. I can figure out what he likes, she thought wisely, hiding herself discreetly behind a caramel popcorn machine. Kadric was just at the shelves in front of her, so she could hear every word he said.

"Sugar quills are good," his tallest friend said. Kadric nodded slowly, and Chal felt her heart beat quicken. Is that what he wanted?

"Yea, I guess they're okay," he said in a voice that lacked enthusiasm. "But do you know what the best are?"

"What?" his friends chorused, and Chalondra asked silently along with them.

"None of them," Kadric decided triumphantly. "No offense to candy, but I personally hate it."

Chalondra felt her heart sink. Great. Just great. He didn't like candy either. Goodness, what _did _this boy like for gifts anyway? Chalondra snuck past and slithered out the door, making her way towards The Three Broomsticks. What did he like? Herbology, obviously.

Wait. That was it. Herbology…

Chalondra laughed out loud, getting a few strange looks from people nearby. She nearly skipped to The Three Broomsticks, a plan already formulating in her mind.

"Thanks," Chalondra mumbled to Madame Rosmerta, grabbing her flask of butter beer and scurrying back to a table in the far corner, where a row of large Christmas trees completely hid it from view. It was where they piled the empty boxes where their decorations usually sat until after Christmas, but Chalondra just pushed them under the table and reveled in the silence and isolation this secret spot gave her. She was never so glad to be alone.

And yet, as she peeked through the pine needles on the Christmas trees, she felt a pang in her heart. All those groups of students, laughing and drinking with their friends, looking forward to the next day and that after made her feel incredibly lonely. But Chalondra couldn't go sit with anyone; she didn't _have _anyone. With a heavy sigh she sipped her butter beer, feeling a bit warmer after one gulp.

For a few moments Chalondra sat in silence, thinking over everything and trying to sort out her thoughts and feelings. She just wished Yoyo would accept her answer that she was sorry, although she knew how Yoyo felt. With a sickening turn of thoughts, Chalondra realized in two days that cloaked man would send for her again. She'd have to find out _something_ useful about Kadric…and soon. But she didn't have tutoring until Tuesday! With a groan, Chalondra realized she would have to search for Kadric in public. What a nightmare.

But she didn't have to search. With a rustle she heard voices from behind the trees. She cowered against the wall, afraid when she heard the voices.

"Hey Kad, what's behind them trees?"

"No idea, I'll check."

"Ooh, maybe it'll be drinks!" crowed a different voice. "If it is, we should take them!"

"Yea, that'd be great!" cackled another boy. Kadric just laughed.

"All right guys, I'll grab them--," His head had just poked through the pine needle branches. He stopped his sentence as he saw Chalondra sitting, cowering, in her seat. With a sigh of relief she shook her head slightly at Kadric, whose eyes were bulging out if his head.

"Don't," she whispered viciously, pleading in her eyes. Kadric didn't move, his face full of question.

"Oi! Kad, what's taking so long?" asked a voice.

"Yea, keeping all the beer to yourself?"

Kadric seemed to snap out of it, giving Chalondra one last curious gaze and then vanishing back to his friends. "Uh—sorry guys nothing there. I checked."

"Aww man! Are you serious?"

"Yea, sorry guys."

With some mumbles they all trotted off to get drinks, and Chalondra let out a louder sigh of relief. Thank goodness Kadric had been the one to poke his head through. But…why hadn't he told his friends she were there? Surely it would have been a good laugh to see a strange girl sitting all alone? Chalondra shook it out of her head and sipped on her butter beer again, her mind drifting.

Sudden rustles and grunts snapped Chalondra out of her reverie. She glanced at the trees fearfully, gripping her wand. If she had to stun them to keep their mouth shut…

Out from behind the trees popped Kadric, pine needles littering his cloak and hair. In his hand was a butter beer. He let out a sigh and set the drink down on the table beside Chal's, brushing the pine needles off of his cloak. "They're everywhere," he muttered disdainfully. "Really Ravenclaw, couldn't you pick an easier spot to sit?"

"No," Chalondra snapped. "Considering no one else was supposed to come here in the first place."

Kadric gave a little shake of his head, letting some pine needles fall limply to the ground as he took the seat opposite of Chalondra. "You're going to get caught by your friends," she whispered viciously. "I'll get caught. I can't believe you came here in _public!_"

"Well," Kadric began slowly. "It _is _against my religion and all, but I just had to know. Why are you hiding all alone?"

"None of your business," Chalondra hissed.

"What, can't a guy just come to say hello?" Kadric asked breezily.

"No."

"…True."

"So what _do_ you want? You ought to know that I'm not actually hiding any drinks," Chalondra said with a smirk. Why can't he just leave me alone? She thought grumpily as he stared at his butter beer silently. It'd be so much easier.

"Actually, I was just wondering why you're isolated like this," he asked with something like genuine curiosity, making a sweeping motion to the trees hiding them from the crowds.

"Well, do you _think_ I have any friends right now to go sit with?" Chalondra asked rather rudely. "I just think being alone right now is easier," she hinted obviously.

Kadric didn't take the hint.

"Well, _I _don't think so. Don't you think you should be go apologizing or something?"

"Oh, what? Did you suddenly grow feelings?" Chalondra finally hissed viciously. "Or is this suddenly all _my_ fault? YOU didn't do anything? Well, now it makes PERFECT sense!" Chalondra almost yelled, hiding her head in her hands in exasperation. She heard Kadric pushing his butter beer back and forth silently, as if he were thinking.

"Well, no. But…I _do _have feelings."

Chalondra snorted.

"I do! Or else—or else…" He grew quiet, and Chalondra risked a peek at him to see his eyes drawn to the table surface as if it were an interesting TV program. "Or else I wouldn't have come to check on you," he whispered so quietly Chalondra had to stretch to hear it.

"You? Check on _me?_ Oh please."

"I did! I was…I _am _worried. But only a little bit worried," he corrected hurriedly, trying his best to look gruff. "It's really annoying having to tutor you with that simpering, little whiney baby attitude you've seemed to grow attached to lately."

"Oh, sorry I'm ruining your mood, _Your Highness,_" Chalondra groaned through gritted teeth.

"Apology accepted," Kadric remarked stiffly. Chalondra glared at him, and he glared right back. "Why are you suddenly being so difficult anyway?" he snapped.

"ME? _Difficult?_ You're one to talk! You act like the biggest jerk around everyone else in this entire school, but around me you're actually _semi-normal._ I don't know what's wrong with your brain, or WHY you think popularity and bullying and teasing makes who you are, but it doesn't. Why can't you just stop pretending to be someone you're _not?_"

Chalondra's words echoed around the two, as if they were alone in a large room and not three feet away from a cramped, humid room filled with drinking students.

"How would _you _know who I am? Last time I checked we barely know one another."

Well that man said I knew you best, Chal thought darkly, but said nothing and only bit her bottom lip in thought instead. "I'd like to keep it that way," she said barely above a whisper. Kadric stiffened.

"Yea. Me too," he replied sharply, taking a swig of his drink. "Just the teacher and the student."

"The smart one and the dumb one," Chalondra retorted.

"Hey, _I'm _the one teaching _you._ Who's the smart one?"

"Me, of course."

"Well you're pleasantly conceited."

"As are you."

"Agreed."

The somewhat pleasant conversation that had lasted about two seconds fell into silence between them. Chalondra stirred her drink with a useless straw, and Kadric traced shapes on his flask.

"Do you notice…anything strange about Professor Windex?" Chalondra asked suddenly, filling up the silence.

"Professor Windex? The Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?"

Chalondra nodded mutely, hearing that cold voice beneath the cloak all over again as it threatened her life and Kadric's.

"No," Kadric said immediately. "He seems like a quiet, mousy pansy to me."

"Kadric!" Chalondra cried.

"Well he is!" Kadric shot back immediately. "I mean, all he does is write stuff on the board and then sit at his desk all nice and polite. I mean, he _never_ gives back any of my stuff."

Chalondra's heartbeat began to quick. "You're stuff? Like, tests and things?"

Kadric nodded. "Yea."

"Do these tests have, like, information about you?"

Kadric narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Why, planning on getting together a little stalking party just for me? You shouldn't have."

"Oh, I didn't," Chalondra, said evilly. "Just answer the question about the tests."

"Well, I guess so," Kadric said grudgingly. "Why?"

"Er—no reason," Chalondra said hurriedly, trying to shake the thoughts out of her head. It was all a weird coincidence. Nice, quiet Professor Windex couldn't _possibly _be that man. First of all, they were completely different. Second of all…

"Look, there is something _definitely _wrong with you," Kadric interrupted rudely. "You zone out at any chance you have!"

"Is that such a problem?" Chalondra asked almost sleepily, her mind still working about the man.

"Well, it is when I'm trying to teach you! Or even talk to you!"

"Oh, I'm sorry then," Chalondra said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "I didn't realize Kadric enjoyed talking to Chalondra so much."

"I don't," Kadric said hurriedly. "But when I _do_, for some demented reason, it's really rather irritating. Why don't you just suck it up and go apologize?"

"Who are YOU to give me advice on a subject like this?"

"Kadric Marsters of course."

"That doesn't give me any confidence whatsoever."

Kadric snorted. "Fine. Be a baby."

Ooh, if only you knew the half of it, Chalondra thought bitterly. "Wouldn't be so cocky then, would you?" she mumbled aloud, not even realizing.

"What was that?" Kadric asked pleasantly.

Chalondra blanched and looked up at him quickly. "Whatwaswhat?" she asked hurriedly. Kadric quirked an eyebrow.

"That creepy mutter I just heard."

"Did you hear what I said?"

"Um. No."

Chalondra could have smiled in relief. "Okay. I just said…I'd like another butter beer."

Kadric smiled devilishly. "I'll get you one, just because I want one myself. But I'll only get you one if you give me the money for both."

Chalondra sighed but dug out the coins and slapped them in Kadric's outstretched hand. "Fine, fine, just go!"

With an obliged nod, Kadric squirmed out of the alcove and towards the counter. Chalondra felt a cold voice in her head telling her to run out, and she knew it was right. Kadric was suddenly being nice…eerily nice. And Chalondra didn't like pity, especially from a Slytherin. With a reluctant sigh, Chalondra leapt through the trees and ran for the exit like a scared rabbit, only looking back once to see Kadric grabbing the two butter beers off of the counter.

And then she was out, racing across the snowy ground as she made her way back to Hogwarts. Chalondra trembled from head to toe, but not because of the heat. Because Kadric and herself were becoming too close, whether it be Ravenclaw and Slytherin or Teacher and Student. Chalondra knew she liked him…she liked him a lot. But Kadric couldn't like her. It was against the code of everything. But he didn't. That was a ridiculous thought.

But then why, nagged her thoughtful voice, did he come and talk to you? Why did he offer to buy drinks? Do you think he's warming up to you? Answer the questions, you stupid girl!

Stifling a sob, Chalondra hitched up her robes and ran all the way back to the school, her eyes misting with tears and she stumbled her way back.

Meanwhile, back inside The Three Broomsticks, Kadric whistled as he walked back to the hidden table. He didn't know why he was cheerful, but Chalondra always managed to make him feel a bit better about his uncomfortable situation. But she also made him think about what he was doing, which was doubly worse.

What's that called again? Asked an annoying voice. Oh yea. A _cru—_But Kadric immediately blocked it out, reveling in the idea that they were just Teacher and Student getting to know each other better. Besides, he still hated Chalondra's attitude and brains and personality to an extent. Maybe just not _as_ much as before. He was willing to admit THAT much anyway.

He pushed through the trees, grinning as the pine needles stuck uncomfortably to him. "Okay, here's your dri—," he trailed off, staring at the empty, pushed back seat. She was gone? Why? Did she purposely send him away so she could escape? Did she STILL hate him that much?

Kadric sighed heavily, thoughts whirling. He slammed the drinks on the table so they spilled out some beverage, then sat down angrily on his chair, his face not showing his anger, but something like sadness. With another sigh he lifted his flask, about to take a drink. Hesitating, he brought it against the other glass, which was standing lonely in the center of the table. "Cheers," he muttered miserably as the glasses clinked together. "Have a great Christmas," he mumbled, feeling thoroughly miserable for reasons he couldn't fathom.


	14. An Apology

Chalondra paced the greenhouse, her hair tied up in a messy knot from the earlier work she had done in the greenhouses. It hadn't been pleasant. She had been guessing on what to do half of the time, and only her common sense had really saved her from destroying every plant in Greenhouse Three.

Beside her on the table that she and Kadric usually worked on, sat a box roughly the size of a small trunk. It wasn't wrapped, but it had a rather pleasant green bow sitting on the top. Chalondra glared at it, as if it were the content's fault for the great discomfort she felt. The only answer she got from her glare was a shiver that sent the whole box shuddering. Giving a big sigh, Chalondra went back to pacing. It felt better to be moving then be waiting anxiously. She had already been waiting fifteen minutes. What if she had wrecked _everything_ in the Three Broomsticks? Well, obviously she had made things terrible. What kind of girl runs out on a friend buying drinks?

At those words, she stopped dead in her tracks, eyes glued to the dirty floor in front of her. Wait. Had she just said...friend? Since when had she seen Kadric as a friend? That thought had never occurred to her before. Slytherin? Yes. Bully? Yes. Annoying, senseless, prat? Yes. Teacher? Sure, why not. But...friend? That was pushing it a little, even Chalondra had to admit.

But...you didn't see Professor Snape walking into the Three Broomsticks and offering Chalondra a drink after saving her from the wrath of fellow Slytherins behind a wall of trees now, did you?

Shaking her head again, Chalondra checked her watch. For once, she wasn't wearing the usual black robes that she wore in the winter. The greenhouse was unusually warm, so she just wore the regulatory skirt, white long-sleeved shirt, and blue and bronze tie that showed she was a Ravenclaw. Of course, because of her earlier work, she had had to roll up the sleeves of her shirt. It was her last clean shirt and she didn't want it _totally_ destroyed.

"I doubt he'll come," she muttered to herself as she began to pace again. "I mean, what's a note really going to say? Especially after I ran. Really. I'm acting so juvenile. First, running away because I'm too stupid to understand my own feelings, and then sending a note. _A note._ I mean, that's for little kids to do!" Chalondra threw up her hands, wondering why in the world she was talking to herself. Since when had she started THAT nasty habit?

"Here I go again," she muttered, glaring at the box again. "This better be worth it. You were terrible to get a hold of," she accused the box. It only made a little whispering noise and sent another shiver through the box. Chalondra gave a little hmff! and continued to pace the cramped working space. Sometimes it just wasn't worth it. And she hated apologizing. Especially to _Slytherins. _

And to make matters worse, Yoyo still hated her.

Not that had to do with anything.

* * *

Earlier that day, Kadric had been sulking in Potions, glaring at the back of Chalondra's bent head as if his narrowed eyes would cause it to snap. At least, that's what he had been hoping for. Ever since she had ditched him to make him feel like a complete loser in the Three Broomsticks, old hatred had boiled past the surface once again. Especially since _she_ continued to act as if nothing had happened. Noooo, Little Miss Perfect kept living her perfect life, with perfect friends, perfect grades, and perfect _existence._

If only he knew.

Not to mention it had just been a nasty blow to the ego. After all, no girl had ever ditched Kadric. _Ever._ It was like an unknown phenomenon to Kadric. Sure, they swooned, sure, they wept with joy...okay, maybe that was exaggerating a little. But never, never, had he been duped. She tricked him! He had realized this on the dreary walk back to Hogwarts. She had tricked him into getting them the blasted drinks, and then she had run. What did he do? It wasn't a question that often plagued Kadric's mind, but..._what had he done wrong?_ Chalondra was known to brush him off, but totally ditch him? No way.

Then again, what DID Kadric know about Chalondra? Maybe he should get to know her better. Yea, except for the fact he absolutely hated her right now. No more tutoring for _her._ And he didn't want to talk to her either, so she's just have to realize when she went to the greenhouses next tutoring class no such thing would be happening.

And yet, as he watched Chalondra raise her hand to answer a question, the hate he felt so much lowered a little, and instead, the feeling was replaced with the one he had had that day in the Hospital Wing...

_NO! Get that thought out of your mind RIGHT now! That was a mistake! Complete and utter MISTAKE!_

..._Right?_

And then, there was the other day, when they had had that discussion in the gardens. When they had both come face to face with the knowledge that they had, at least, for one millisecond, felt something for each other. Or, at least, were drawn to each other. It was an embarrassing thought, and Kadric had a nasty feeling that people were buzzing around with the knowledge the two had kissed. Of course, Yoyo and Kate hadn't told anyone else yet, but he didn't know that. Every whispered conversation, every passed note, was about what he had done to Chalondra. The thought made his blood freeze.

"First row!" The snappy voice of Professor Snape caught Kadric out of his daze. "Pass these papers behind you, and then began to answer the questions immediately!" With that, he spun around and headed back to his desk. There was a rustling of paper from the front row. Kadric caught himself gazing at the back of Chalondra's head as she fiddled with the papers a few rows in front of him. At least he didn't have to make potions today, he thought. _That_ would have been disastrous.

At that moment, Chalondra spun around to pass the sheet of questions to the student behind her. Kadric lowered his eyes immediately, feeling stupid for having stared at her hair. What was up with THAT, anyway?

Finally, he got his papers. He was the last student, so he didn't have to spin around and pass his papers to any more students. He opened his book with a sigh, lifted his quill, and flipped the paper to answer the first question. But what his eyes met was not the list of questions that should have been glaring at his eyes. Instead, a neatly folded piece of paper stared at him. He poked it with the tip of his quill hesitantly. Nothing happened. So instead, he poked it lightly with his fingertip. Instantly, ink spread out from where his finger had touched. Gasping lightly, he pulled back. From where his finger had touched, the words _To Kadric_. He looked at it, puzzled, and then recognized the writing as Chalondra's, from all the notes she had written in their tutoring. He glared at it, momentarily contemplating burning it with a spell. But sudden curiosity took over. What would she have written that needed such heavy spells on it? Shrugging, he picked it up and unfolded it, making sure to keep it hidden from prying eye's view.

_To Kadric,_

_If you haven't already burned this note, please read. I know what I did in the Three Broomsticks was wrong. I was just...oh, I don't know. Confused? Yes, that works. I was confused. I think you know what about._

_So you if you still don't hate me with all of your being, please meet me in Greenhouse Three after classes. No, not for tutoring. I just need to–well, yea. Um...please meet me. I really need to tell you something._

_Chalondra._

Well. That made things all the more awkward now, didn't it? Shredding the note slowly, Kadric thought over what she had written. So she knew what she had done was wrong. Well, that made him feel some sort of smug happiness. And she had sounded truly confused when she had written it. And she had gone to great lengths to charm it from everyone's eyes but his. Now how did someone do _that?_

Shrugging, he deposited the small bits of shredded paper into his book bag. What was he going to do? Yes, he wanted to clear things up. Yes, he wanted to see her again, as strange as that sounded. But the iciness between the two was worse than what he had hoped for, even though he was the one causing most of the frostiness. And since Chalondra had made the first attempt...well, he didn't want to disappoint an audience now, did he?

And truth be told, he sort of missed tutoring. No, not the benefits that came with it, but tutoring. _Chalondra._

What was wrong with him lately? Shaking his head, Kadric dipped his quill in ink and began to scratch an illegible answer to the first question. She better have a good apology ready.

* * *

The crunching of footsteps through snow outside of the greenhouse nearly sent Chalondra through the roof. It was him! It was him! It was Kadric! It _had_ to be! She hoped. If it wasn't...she glanced at the box that sat idly on the table. If it wasn't him, his Christmas present would go wasted.

The sound of a key fitting into a keyhole snapped Chalondra back into reality. She gave a little gasp. She looked terrible! The usual feminine vanity took hold, and she began to pat down her shirt and trying to straighten her hair. But the door was creaking open. Sighing impatiently, she forced herself to sit at the table and act nonchalant. Her hair was still in a messy bun, her shirt still rolled up and untucked, but she hoped she looked somewhat presentable. After all, this was an apology she was going to make!

At the last minute, she remembered to heave the box off of the table and shove it under the table. No need for him to see it if, by the end of the apology, he still hated her.

When he walked in, a familiar tense silence settled between them. Chalondra bit her bottom lip as she noticed Kadric take an extra long time to close the door behind him, then hang his cloak up on the hooks that lined the wall. She loosened her tie as he slowly double checked the obviously closed door. It was beginning to get oddly hot in there, and her tie only seemed to be suffocating her.

"Um...hi," she greeted meekly. As the one to start this awkward meeting, she felt strangely in charge.

"Hey," he replied quietly. Too quietly. Chalondra narrowed her eyes. Something was going on in Kadric's mind she couldn't really see. Heh, probably trying to figure out the best way to dispose of her.

That wasn't a very comforting thought.

She noticed Kadric standing awkwardly at the greenhouse entrance. She had never seen him looking so, well, quiet. And meek. Like a little boy on his first day of school.

"You can...uh, sit, if you want," Chalondra said, making a strange gesture at the chair opposite of her she hoped Kadric would see as inviting.

"Okay," he replied easily, slipping into the chair. Chalondra made sure to keep her feet tucked tightly beneath her chair. She looked up from her clenched hands to see Kadric watching her. Her cheeks grew red.

"What?" she asked meekly. He shook his head, looking away.

"Nothing."

"...Okay," she said, taking a deep breath. "I asked you to come here so I could...apologize."

The word sent Kadric's eyes wide. "You? Apologize?"

"Hey, I apologize easier than _you_ do!" Chalondra accused. He shrugged.

"Maybe, but to me?"

Another silence.

"Maybe not. But stop changing the subject! I asked you here to say this–I'm sorry. I'm sorry for ditching you in the Three Broomsticks. Some girls can do that and not give a second thought about it, but not me. No, my stupid actions plagued me until I had no other choice but to send you that note."

"Gee, thanks," Kadric replied, voice dripping with sarcasm.

Chalondra rushed on. "And well, what I did...was stupid. I just felt so weird. I don't know! I mean, after what happened in the Hospital Wing, and you just acting like everything was normal when it so obviously _wasn't,_ and then that guy–" Chalondra let out a little gasp and clamped her hands to her mouth, face burning.

"Guy?" Kadric felt something unfamiliar clench at his stomach. "Wait. What guy? Is there some nerdy Ravenclaw guy, Chalondra?" The seriousness of his tone must have been amusing, because Chalondra let out a shaky smile.

"Guy? What guy? You're crazy! And why do you care, anyway?" Chalondra gave a nervous twitter. She had almost let it out! She had almost let out the pressure that cloaked man was giving her. "Um, the point is...I did the wrong thing. I guess I should have tried to talk things out rather than...rather than run away." Chalondra blushed deeply. "I know that sounds really dumb, but..."

"But it's better than being a chicken," Kadric finished quietly. Chalondra was shocked. How did he know what she was going to say? "I've been...I _have_ thought the same thing..once," he said, avoiding the whole point of his statement.

"I...see," she replied stupidly. Another silence settled between them. "So...do you...forgive me?"

Kadric's silent reply was nearly enough to send Chalondra over the edge.

"Kadric! I've apologized! That's all I can do! If you don't–if you won't accept it, I don't know what else I can do! I'm not going to beg! I'm not going to grovel! And I'm DEFINITELY not going to give you your Christmas present!" She stomped her foot angrily as she stood up to face him. Then, at the realization of her final words, sunk back down into her chair. Opposite her, Kadric had the most shocked expression she had ever seen on his face. "Oh no...," she whispered weakly, hiding her face with her hands. "I didn't just say that...did I?"

"You–got me a present?" Kadric asked in answer to her last question. Chalondra didn't reply, but instead, nodded her head numbly. Ohhh boy! NOW he was going to laugh!

But instead, he had something like shock and...happiness? Gratefulness? Written all over his face.

"I...wow. A present? How come?" His voice came out in a false, relaxed tone, but Chalondra could clearly see how tense he was through the spaces in her fingers.

"I don't know," she answered miserably and truthfully. "For being my tutor, I guess. A little thank you gift. Even if...even if you're not tutoring me anymore, I might as well give it to you."

"Whoa! Wait! ..._Not_ tutoring? When did I ever say that?"

A small bubble of hope rose in Chalondra's chest. "You mean...?"

"I was _going_ to accept your apology, if you had just given me ten extra seconds! I like to draw things out." He flapped a hand at her. Chalondra looked at him with a slight smile on her face. He must have noticed, because he stopped flapping his hand and glared suspiciously at her. "What? What're you smiling at?"he asked cautiously.

"You've..." Chalondra stopped. She was about to say 'gotten nicer,' but he would hate it if she said that. "You've gotten different," she said instead. "I remember that before we probably would have hated each other for the rest of our lives."

Kadric smirked. "Yes, well, the bond that is that of Student and Teacher is a strong one. It changes people."

Chalondra could see he was trying to be amusing, what with the mock serious tone he used. But even as she chuckled at his words, she took them to heart. Could they really...be true?

"So," Kadric said breezily, "you said you have a present? Because, you know, I didn't get you one or anything..."

Chalondra shrugged. "I don't care. I don't need one. This is a thank you gift, remember?" She bent down to lift up the box. She grunted as she rested it on the table. "Wow, that's kind of heavy," she panted, resting an elbow against it. Kadric looked first at the box, then at Chalondra.

"This...is for _me?_"

She nodded happily, shoving the box across the table. "Yes! Open it!" She acted excited, but deep inside, her body was just screaming out to be swallowed by the earth.

He opened the box slowly, standing up just as painfully slow to make Chalondra nervous.

"Stop and just hurry!" she prodded. He smirked at her, and then, just as slowly, bent over to look in the box. The gasp he gave was one of happiness. She hoped.

"Is this...? Did you...?" Kadric's sentences drifted off as he lifted the present out of the box. In his hands was a nice, clay pot, roughly the size of a small beach ball. Of course, the pot wasn't empty. In it sat mounds and mounds of healthy dirt. But that wasn't just it. In the dirt, sat a wizened looking tree shrub. It was small, roughly up to just a bit lower than Kadric's waist. It had a gnarled trunk that glowed almost silver. Leaves that looked like ivory split off of the branches, growing out in little, elegant bunches. At the top bloomed an unnatural looking purple blossom that unfurled as Kadric heaved it out of the large box. It seemed to give off a glow itself. Kadric's jaw dropped at the plant. "You got me...a...a...a..."

"A Fairy Tree!" Chalondra interjected happily. She was quite satisfied with the shocked expression on his face. The saucer-sized eyes and the huge, open mouth were enough to make her happy for years to come. "I knew you liked plants, and I couldn't think of anything else to get you for Christmas, so...tada!" she said a little weakly. He didn't look away from the glow the plant emitted.

"I–I just...I don't deserve this! How'd you get it? Don't you know how rare these are?"

Chalondra grinned. "I got special permission from Professor Sprout. It was one tough job, let me tell you that!"

Kadric's hand shot out to grab her arm. She flinched, but didn't pull away. "So _that's_ why you're so dirty," he said absently, inspecting the dirt that caked some of Chalondra's skin. She blushed, getting the sense to yank her arm back.

"Hey!"

"I'm not saying it's a bad thing! I guess what I'm trying to say is...well...thank you."

Those words alone, even if they were awkward coming from Kadric, were enough to get her to float on clouds.

"So you really like it? I hear that on the full moon, if it's outside, flocks of fairies are supposed to be attracted to that flower on the top."

Kadric nodded absently, still staring at the plant. "It's...amazing. How did you know to get me a plant?"

Chalondra smiled again. "I just...had a hunch."

In three swift movements, Kadric had walked around the table and grabbed Chalondra in a rib-crushing hug. She gasped for breath, but was pleased all the same.

"No one has ever gotten me such a wonderful gift," Kadric said softly, pulling away from her. Chalondra saw the blush on his face and felt immensely pleased.

"Really? Well, you know. It was nothing. I was glad to, well, you know..." The warm feeling of having Kadric voluntarily hug her still clouded her thoughts. "If you're happy, you're happy," she blurted. She gasped at her words, feeling her face immediately burn up. What kind of person said _that?_ Especially after an awkward _kiss_ that neither of them could explain?

But Kadric seemed to be in a good mood. The Fairy Tree had that effect on people. "Thanks," he said again. Chalondra, who, naturally being a girl, had been hoping for a little bit more than a few thank you's. Yes, she knew kissing Kadric–who was a SLYTHERIN–was wrong, but that didn't stop it from being...well...nice. Good. Normal. Comfortable...Right. She couldn't think of the word, but she would much rather have that happen again than just a few thank you's and a hug. Didn't he know how hard she had worked? That plant had the most stubborn roots known to wizard_kind. _Yes, the hug had been nice, but...

Kadric was back over staring at the tree before Chalondra could comprehend it. She glared at him. "Yes, the tree is very pretty. Are you done yet?" she snapped, feeling her annoyance burst out into angry tones. Kadric looked back at her, almost dazed.

"What?"

"Okay, is that tree making you _drunk _or something?"

"I don't know, but whatever it is, it's pretty cool." Kadric grinned lazily at her, and Chalondra gave an irritated sigh. For all he knew about plants, how could he forget that this one might get him drunk on...on beauty, or leaves, or whatever it was!

"Kadric, snap out of it!" Come talk to _me,_ she pleaded silently.

He seemed to listen to her command. "What?" he asked, spinning around. "What's going on?" His eyes seemed to come more into focus, and he stood up suddenly. "Whoah...that tree was doing something really weird."

Chalondra smiled, reassured that he wasn't going crazy. "I think you were so in awe by its beauty or something you were struck dumb. Not that it made much a difference," Chalondra shot at him. Kadric blinked. Once. Twice. Three times.

"Wow. I actually wasn't expecting that. You know," he said, walking away from the glowing tree and pacing around the table so he was beside her. "You're getting better at this."

"Better...at what?" she asked, realizing how close they were. Kadric smirked down at her.

"You've secretly been initiated into Kadric lessons! Congrats! You passed level three!"

Chalondra glowered at him. "YOU just set yourself up!"

Kadric sighed heavily, waving a hand at her. "Fine, fine. You have me there too. Will your _endless, Ravenclaw logic _cease to amaze me?" he asked sarcastically grinning. Chalondra opened her mouth to retaliate, but Kadric's hand on her head stopped her in mid movement.

"Calm down," he said, ruffling her hair slightly. She let her jaw drop at his touch. Wait, wait, wait. Kadric was _touching_ her? Voluntarily? Again? What was wrong with both of them?

He seemed to realize this at the same time as her. His hand paused in mid-ruffle, and the two stood in that exact pose for an awkward amount of time. For a _silent_, awkward amount of time.

"Um," was all Chalondra managed, Kadric's hand still tangled in the wisps of her black hair.

"Yea. Sorry about that," Kadric apologized, pulling his hand away from her. She grinned weakly as the weight left her head.

"...Yea," was all she managed. The two stood closely for a few moments, then Chalondra glanced at her watch. "What? Oh no! There's like, ten minutes until dinner!" Chalondra rushed to gather her cloak and scarf, feeling empty as she broke away from the tight space between her and Kadric. He turned around, blinking slowly.

"Really? Wow. I'll go put the tree away."

The two rushed around in silence until they were both bundled up and ready to face the wintry outside again. As they stepped out and Kadric turned around to lock the door, Chalondra felt something she didn't normally feel take charge of her body. She wanted to act. As stupid as it sounded, she was sick of the awkward spaces that filled up most of her and Kadric's conversations.

Her next move would probably make it worse, but right then, she didn't care.

"Okay, it's all locked up now, so–" Kadric was cut off as Chalondra nearly jumped up and prsesed her lips lightly onto his. Shock registered all over his face, and alarm bells began ringing inside of his head. Was this normal? Was this good? Was this supposed to happen?

Before he could answer any of these, Chalondra was back on her feet. "Thanks," she said shyly, then, turning around, she raced for the school.

Chalondra was doing a lot of odd things to Kadric. Making him nicer, making him happier, ditching him, and even leaving him speechless. Now, that last one happened about once in his whole life.

This was that one time.

As Kadric watched Chalondra run for the school, he felt completely and truly baffled.

But in a good way.


	15. Revenge

**A/N:** HAHA. READ THIS MY TWO READERS! I've decided to become lazy and get rid of the plot with the cloaked man and the professor (who, actually, wasn't the bad guy. ;D) and spying on Kadric. FWEE. Now it's just gonna be a fluff story, okay? JUST A FLUFF STORY!

PS: Longer than usual!

Kadric was confused. Not by schoolwork or why he had failed so miserably in the last Quidditch game. He knew why THAT was. It was because his mind had been on other things.

And by other things, he meant Chalondra.

That was twice now, _twice,_ Chalondra had kissed him. Well, the first time he had sort of kissed her too. Okay, and then there were those two times he had done it to shut her up. Truth be told, that was a complete, downright lie. He was shocked Chalondra hadn't accused him of lying. Couldn't she see how terrible of a lie that was? To 'shut her up'? Being a Slytherin, you _think _he could come up with something a little better.

But no. He had kissed her the very, _very_ first time front of the greenhouses because she was angry, he thought it was funny, and had thought it would be funnier to see her reaction to him kissing her. Of course, he had realized his mistake, and after that he vowed never to do it again. Because he _had_ done it just for fun.

But for days afterward, he couldn't get the kiss out of his mind. She had gotten angry and huffed and puffed and whatnot, but he had wanted to do it again. As much as his brain wouldn't admit it, his body would. Everytime he saw her he felt this strange impulse to leap her. He felt stupid thinking such a thing, and continued to act as though he was felt nothing.

But then, that second time, _inside_ the greenhouse, he had used the same excuse as before. But there was actually something there that time. She didn't push him away—at first. He felt stupid again, but at the same time, victorious. He hated having the feeling of wanting to kiss a _Ravenclaw, _but it had been there all the same.

And in the Hospital Wing, it just grew.

After that, he solemnly swore on his life he would never, NEVER think like that again. But after she had given him such a wonderful, and surprising, Christmas gift, he couldn't help but feel a tinge of what he felt when he had kissed her.

He covered the feeling with a hug.

But this time…_this_ time, she had done it on her own. Nothing special, nothing intense, just one of those little feminine kisses where they stand on their tiptoes. It was kind of sickening, but more importantly, it was…scary. Just scary. Did Chalondra feel something more than he felt? What did he feel anyway? Hadn't it just been physical attraction that caused those first two kisses? Hadn't it?

But he had known there was something else other than physical attraction as he stood outside the greenhouse that evening. Chalondra was just a black dot in the distance. Kadric had still been unable to move. He was going to be late for supper. But at the moment, he seriously could have cared less. The only words forming in his mind right now were _Chalondra, kiss,_ and _I need to move that plant out of the greenhouse soon._

With a resigned sigh, he trudged back into the greenhouse and grabbed the box. Who needed supper? Not him. He didn't want to walk into the Great Hall, knowing he'd see Chalondra sitting there, probably alone. Hadn't she said her friends hated her now or something?

With a shrug, he began to lumber back to school with the heavy package in his hands, occasionally grunting and setting it in the snow while he rested. It was going to be a _long_ night.

* * *

Chalondra poked at her potatoes, her stomach already completely full after a small two bites. She was more anxious than hungry. What had she just _done_ out there?

"Hey there. Why so gloomy?"

Chalondra looked to her left to see Danny taking the seat beside her. She sighed heavily. Did she really need anything else that would cause her friends to hate her? Kate obviously loved Danny, and Yoyo would just yell at her and say she couldn't stay with one guy for too long, could she?

"Hi Danny," she replied gloomily.

"Well, why are you sad?"

"I'm not," Chalondra snapped angrily, stabbing her fork into a carrot rather viciously. Danny made a hmming noise at Chalondra's actions.

"I think there is."

"Look, go talk to Kate or Yoyo or Tali or something. Anyone but _me._ Okay?"

Danny looked hurt at Chal's words. She opened her mouth to take them back, but Danny interrupted with a shrug.

"Okay. Whatever."

When he turned to walk away, Chal sighed heavily, hitting her forehead with her palm several times. "Stupid, stupid, stupid. You can't even be civilized to _one_ person, can you?"

"So did you hear?" Yoyo's shrill voice caught Chal's ears. She knew Yoyo was going to start ragging on her. She just knew it. "About that Slytherin and that _Ravenclaw?_" she continued, making a gagging noise. Chal growled. Wasn't Yoyo a Ravenclaw? Hadn't Yoyo wanted to be with Kadric herself? "I hear they go out to the greenhouses to make out. Can you _believe_ that? How GROSS!"

Chalondra clenched and unclenched her fists, trying to count to ten. Yoyo was doing this purposely. But still, how had she known about the two meeting to _tutor only_ at the greenhouses…?

"Yoyo," Kate began to interrupt in a quiet voice.

"Yea, did you know the Ravenclaw broke a girl's heart?" she continued, her voice getting louder and shriller. "Yea, she did! It's true! And now she has no friends because of what she's done—"

"SHUT UP!" Chalondra was standing up and glaring at Yoyo before she could comprehend what was happening. "JUST SHUT UP!"

The Great Hall was steadily growing quieter. Student's faces were turning to watch her. Chal's face burned with embarrassment. Whoever had been listening to Yoyo's tale, which was probably the entire Ravenclaw table and a bit more, would piece the puzzle together.

She had just done the most stupid thing she could have done.

Yoyo only glared at her, an evil smirk tight on her face.

Without knowing what else to do, Chal grabbed her bag and raced out of the Great Hall, slamming the door shut behind her.

* * *

Kadric stared at the tree that now stood at the foot of his bed in the dormitory. Yes, every person in Slytherin would tease him endlessly about having a plant, with a _flower_ at the end of his bed, but he didn't care at the moment. Right now he was just staring at it, smiling happily. No one ever gave him gifts. At least, caring gifts. Ones that had thought put into them.

"No! Stop! Stop thinking about it like that!" Kadric moaned through gritted teeth. He punched a fist into his pillow, frustrated. Why was this thought even _occurring_ to him? It shouldn't. "This is so stupid," he hissed, punching his other fist into the pillow so now both of his hands rested on it. "She's a Ravenclaw. The person I teased all through Hogwarts. The person I _hated_ all through Hogwarts. The person I'm tutoring. The person…who gave me a nice gift. The person…who…" His sentence faded, and his mind flew back to earlier that evening, outside of the greenhouse. In the Hospital Wing. Those other times, when his excuses were always lame.

Wait. Why was he thinking of shutting her up as an excuse now? "I give UP!" he yelled, throwing the pillow against the wall and standing up abruptly. He stomped out of the dormitory and out into the common room, where he sent chilling glares to every Slytherin he passed.

Outside of the common room, Kadric gave an unsteady breath.

"_I give UP!"_

What did that mean, exactly? He began to walk down the halls aimlessly, chewing his lower lip in thought. What was he giving up on? Was he finally admitting something he didn't want to? Was he no longer hiding what had been deep inside of him all this time? _What_ had been hidden inside of him, anyway? Feelings? Or fear? Or…or…

His thoughts were interfered as someone pushed him. He toppled unsteadily into the wall beside him, groaning as his head hit the stone wall.

"Sorry, sorry! I didn't mean to, I'm just in…a…"

Kadric grimaced. Great; just whom he needed.

"What do you _want,_ Ravenclaw?" he asked, his frustration at himself flaring up and biting at Chalondra. He looked over to see her, wide-eyed.

"N-Nothing," she said quietly, her face suddenly flushing. Oh great. He had just done the worst thing. Now she'd think he hated the kiss.

Wait. Didn't he? Wait. Why had he just done the worst thing anyway?

Was he growing _soft?_

"Sorry," he muttered darkly, rubbing at the side of his head, where a large bump was now starting to swell up. "I've just been thinking, and I didn't expect to be slammed against a wall."

"I hardly slammed you," Chalondra sniffed, straightening up. Kadric felt a smirk tugging at his lips. Or a smile? Whatever.

"Where were you going in such a rush, anyway?" Kadric asked.

Chalondra looked down at her shoes. "I was just…" She suddenly stamped her foot, startling Kadric. "Oh, I did the _worst_ thing!" she cried, tugging at her hair in a pained sort of way. "I was so _stupid…_"

Kadric grabbed her arm, dragging her down three or for more halls until they were alone. "Okay, first of all," he began, before Chalondra could ask any questions. "You don't start saying stuff like that in the _main hall_, all right? Do you know how many people have their ears pricked for gossip?" Kadric sighed at the expression on Chalondra's face. It was a mixture of sadness and worry.

"Okay, okay, fine. Talk. What did you do?"

"I—It was Yoyo. I was eating, and you know how she's mad at me, right? Because of the—er—Hospital Wing?"

Kadric shifted uneasily. "Sure."

"Well, okay…" Chalondra fiddled nervously with the strap on her bag before continuing. "She was baiting me, you know? Saying stuff about—us—that were complete lies. So finally I just got angry, and yelled at her to shut up." Chalondra's face grew beet red, and Kadric felt something unpleasant twist in his stomach.

"And?" he prodded.

"And everyone was listening, and watching, and now everyone knows it has something to do with _me!_ And if they ever see you talking to me, they'll put two and two together!" Chalondra heaved a big sigh. "I always mess things up, don't I?"

The tone of her question sent a feeling very unknown through Kadric—it unnerved it. It was something like pity, but not really. Because pity was what he felt for people he didn't like. And he didn't mind Chalondra…okay, okay, he liked Chalondra. So was it…sadness, or something?

"No, you don't," he answered her, his voice coming out softer than he would have liked. Geez, was he some sort of pansy now, or something?

Chalondra looked up at his words. "Really?" she asked, a bit hopefully. The sudden memory of her kissing him flashed through his mind. It made his legs feel like noodles.

"Really." He paused, feeling his mouth say the words before he fully understood what they meant. "But you _do_ make things more confusing."

Chalondra bit her lip. "How?"

"Well, today, outside of the greenhouses, was the one thing that's the most confusing."

Chalondra's face grew pale. "Oh…that…was just a mistake. I don't know. I just—I was happy, I guess, that you liked my gift, and I…" she shrugged. "Yea."

Kadric hesitated. "Nothing else?" he asked. Chalondra eyed him warily.

"Why?"

"No reason," he said hurriedly, realizing he was being stupid. "Look, just ignore that Yoyo girl, okay? She doesn't seem like that great of a friend to lose if she's doing that kind of stuff."

Chalondra's face burst into a smile. "I've never heard you give advice before!" she crowed, poking his chest and smiling. Kadric felt his face grow red at her smile, but at the same time, it made him feel happy.

_What was going _on _with him?_

"Yea, well, desperate times call for desperate measures," he told her wisely. "Now get going, in case some little first year discovers how to get here."

Chalondra nodded sternly. "Okay. See you later!" She was about to turn around, but then paused. "Oh," she said. "I'm getting better in Herbology."

She gave him one more, big smile, but then turned and ran down the hall. Kadric continued to stand there, feeling very, _very _strange. _Why _did Chalondra have to be so nice? And smart? And—this pained him to admit—even _pretty? _Merlin, this whole fiasco was confusing.

"I need fresh air," he muttered, spinning around and trotting outside. It was almost time for Transfiguration though, so he'd better hurry.

* * *

Yoyo was angry. _So_ angry. She felt she could punch something because she was so angry.

Okay, yea, so the one boy she seriously loved had totally destroyed her in front of a crowd of people. Well, heck, that wasn't so bad, was it?

Lie.

Her heart had shattered. And even though she hadn't shown it, it was paining her to even move, or make a simple hand gesture. What she had really wanted to do was just lie down and die.

And even when she wasn't NEAR getting over him, Kate comes and tells her Chalondra kissed him! WELL. Hadn't she _hated _him? Hadn't they hated each _other?_ Stupid Chalondra with her good looks, and her…and her…

Why were and this Slytherin getting so close, anyway? WHERE had they found the time to get closer? She had noticed Chal headed out to the greenhouses a lot, but she _did_ know Chalondra was bad at Herbology. She could just be studying up on it.

…Wait! Was that—was she—

Yoyo's train of thought crashed as she saw Kadric stride through the Entrance Hall and out the doors. She stood outside of the Great Hall, breathless. He had looked as hot and stunning as ever. She hated Chalondra right now. Hated her, hated her, hated her. Why did SHE get the hot man? The man she _loved?_ It wasn't fair!

She wanted to get back at Chalondra. Badly. It was like an unquenched thirst.

And then it hit her. She would force Chalondra to face something she would never, _ever_ want to see. It would surely shatter her heart like Yoyo's was.

* * *

"Chal! Chal!"

Chalondra turned around in the Ravenclaw common room to see Danny running to her through the entrance.

"What is it, Danny?" she asked, feeling a bit relieved he wasn't angry with her anymore. He stopped at her chair, breathless.

"Yoyo wants to see you down on the fourth corridor. She wants to—talk to you." Danny collapsed in the couch beside him. Chal's spirits immediately rose.

"Really? Talk? To _me?_"

Danny gave her a strange look. "That's what she told me." He shrugged, shutting his eyes gratefully. "Now she owes me two galleons."

Chalondra felt something like uncertainty edge into her hopefulness of an apology.

"She…paid you?"

Danny nodded slowly, eyes still shut. "She said it was _that_ important."

Chalondra immediately rose from her chair, dropping her books onto her seat. "Thanks Danny!"

Before he could reply, Chalondra was out and running down the hall, stomach bubbling. Maybe, just maybe, Yoyo would apologize, and Chal could apologize, and things would go back to the way they were.

* * *

Yoyo stood anxiously by the small cluster of the suits of armor on the fourth corridor. This had to be timed correctly. It had to precisely right, or everything would go wrong. She had to make Chal _really_ hurt. Hopefully Danny had made it to the common room in forty-five seconds. He wasn't the school's best sprinter for no reason.

The distant sound of a bell echoed in Yoyo's ears. Perfect. She felt a burning sensation pumping through her veins—she hadn't been this excited in a while.

She poked her head out from behind the suit of armor to see a familiar face. She shivered. It didn't hurt finding out your true love's schedule. Heck, she'd known it all year, and discovered he liked to take a shortcut out of Transfiguration. So thankfully, no one else would be in this corridor. It was rather deserted.

As he passed, she reached out a hand and grasped onto his arm. He looked over, startled. She felt something jump in her stomach. She had never been so bold before. This was a new her. A new, I-want-revenge her.

"Do I know you?" he asked, his tone icy. Yoyo suddenly felt her bravery melt.

"Um—um—um…"

"Look, are you stalking me or something?"

The bare evil in his tone made Yoyo shrink. "Erm…N-No…"

Something like realization snapped into his face. His eyes grew wide. "Hey, are you that…Frisbee girl? Chalondra's friend?"

Yoyo felt her temper and resolve come flooding back at Chalondra's name. "My name is _Yoyo,_ and I am _not_ her friend," she growled.

Kadric's eyes narrowed. "Were you saying the stuff at the table about her?"

Yoyo's mouth dropped open. "But you weren't even there!" She felt everything she had planned plummet around her. How was this happening?

And then she heard it. Distant footsteps. She knew those footsteps, after hearing them for seven years.

It was her.

Yoyo had no more time to think about it. It was now or never.

Quick as a flash Yoyo yanked Kadric closer and locked lips with him, just as Chalondra turned the corner.

* * *

Chalondra was excited. She was happy—maybe even hopeful.

When she turned the corner, everything came crashing down.

There was Yoyo, but with her was…Kadric! _Kadric! Yoyo!_

"W-What's going on?" Chalondra asked, her voice coming out shriller than she meant it to. She didn't see Kadric struggling. All she saw was Yoyo, and suddenly she knew.

Yoyo didn't want to be her friend again. Her and Kadric had probably been planning this. Both of them hated her now, what with Chalondra kissing Kadric in the Hospital Wing, and outside of the greenhouse today. He was probably _pretending_ to be nice, and had just been waiting to drop this bombshell on her.

They weren't breaking apart. Chalondra bit her bottom lip, feeling tears prick at her eyes. Of all the things she could have thought, the first one she heard the most clearly was _he never kissed _me_ like that!_

She didn't mean to. But she sniffed. And then her sniff turned into a sob. She immediately clapped her hands over her mouth, but she continued to stand there, realizing the tears had been trickling down her cheeks this whole time.

They finally broke apart. Yoyo looked up and over casually, her expression turning to surprise at Chalondra. "Oh, hello," she greeted icily. Chalondra didn't say anything. She was even too shocked and hurt to glare at her. Her eyes turned to Kadric, questioning him. He didn't answer. His face looked just as shocked as hers.

_Probably because he was hoping I'd collapse. Well too bad for him! _

"Sorry I interrupted," Chalondra sneered, trying to make her voice sound like she could care less; it sounded more like it was on the brink of collapsing into a fit of sobs.

"Chalondra, I—" It was Kadric. _He_ was trying to speak to _her!_

Chalondra managed to glare at him. That stopped him in his tracks.

"I hope you two have fun." Chalondra was about to turn, but hesitated, facing them again.

"And Merry Christmas."

Then she swerved, sprinting down the corridor, feeling foolish for having cried for _him._ For _Kadric._ That insolent, arrogant, Slytherin _JERK!_


	16. Teasing

Kadric watched in complete shock as one girl turned around, tears in her eyes, and ran down the hall. Then he watched as the other one, the one who had just made Chalondra cry, turn around and flounce down the corridor.

It took him a total of ten seconds to realize he couldn't just let her walk off. "HEY!" he yelled, his voice loud enough to send the roof off. The girl stopped in her tracks. What was her name? Yoyo, that was it.

"Yes?" she asked, her voice sickeningly sweet. Kadric felt something like anger rumble in his chest.

"Are you _mental?_" he yelled, stepping closer so at least he could see her better. She paused.

"Maybe I am," she thought carefully. He rolled his eyes, letting out a groan.

"You stupid woman! You don't just go up to random guys and _kiss_ them! After they TOLD you to get out of their LIFE!"

The tone in the girl's voice had changed. It wasn't powerful anymore, it wasn't haughty. It was cold. Distant. "I was hoping…"

"Hoping?" Kadric let out a bark of forced laughter. "Hoping what? That that—_thing_ you called a kiss would make me fall for you? A _Ravenclaw? _Please!"

Yoyo was silent. "It's not that hard to believe, you know."

Kadric paused at her voice. It was quiet now. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"You fell for _her._"

Kadric let his mouth drop openly. Then he began to splutter. He sounded like a drowning animal, but really didn't care. "What are you TALKING about?" he yelled. "Are you NUTS? You're crazy. You belong in the loony bin. I can't believe—she doesn't—I don't—WHY DID YOU DO THAT, ANYWAY?" he asked, deciding it was safer to change the subject. Was it so obvious, that he was nicer to Chalondra than any other person? That he smiled when she walked past? Did he actually do those things ,anyway?

Yoyo was silent, and Kadric could see a frown on her face. "You mean…it's not obvious?"

Kadric gave a choked noise. "Why do you think I'm nearly screaming my head off, you crazy woman?"

Yoyo seemed to flush. "But—that means—you and Chalondra…aren't, well, you know?"

Kadric blinked. "What?"

"You and Chalondra aren't…together?" Kadric detected a wobble in her voice. But the next thing he knew, he felt his stomach jumping all over the place and his heartbeat speed up.

"WHAT?" he roared. "Together? We? Me? And a Ravenclaw?"

_As if you hadn't thought about it,_ sneered a voice in Kadric's head. He brushed it aside, deciding it was safer to yell at the randomly-kissing girl. "Just because we—occasionally—talk, doesn't mean we're together! I wouldn't get with a Ravenclaw! Not her! No way! We don't feel that way about each other!"

"Then why…" Yoyo paused, and Kadric was surprised he had allowed her quiet voice to interrupt his ranting. "Why did you kiss in the Hospital Wing?"

Kadric felt like he was going to die.

"And why…why was she crying? Why did that make her cry? Why did _you_ kissing a different girl make her _cry?_" Without explaining why tears were running down her own face, Yoyo spun around and ran down the hall.

It was then Kadric realized she spoke the truth. Chalondra _had_ been crying. He had a blurry memory of him yelling her name, trying to say something that would fix her tears. He had cared. He had cared she was sad. He had _wanted_ to fix things; he had _wanted _to make her feel better. Was it true then? Did he _want_ to be with a Ravenclaw? Did he _want _to be with Chalondra?

Remembering the way he had felt when he kissed her, he decided he did.

What a new thought, he mused, pacing the empty hall as he tapped his chin. She really _had _been sad at the sight of him kissing a girl. That gave him hope.

But wait…how did Yoyo know? How had she known about the Hospital Wing? Would…others know? Was everyone actually taking about the two of them behind their backs? No, that wasn't true. Someone would have confronted him or tortured him by now. He knew that Yoyo had liked him, so that little kiss (that actually hadn't been little at all), was probably for her own sick revenge. But it had caused problems, and now Kadric was in trouble. Just when they had been getting along.

But then, if he hadn't been attacked by the Yoyo girl, he never would have figured things out.

With shaking legs and a thudding heart, he walked off down the corridor, hoping to find Chalondra somewhere nearby.

* * *

Chalondra actually _was_ nearby. She hadn't had the strength to sprint back up the Ravenclaw tower, and going to the library would only be a bad idea. Her wracking sobs would have sent Madame Pince into some kind of seizure.

She _hated_ this. Just when things had started to go nicely, maybe even smoothly, she had to see _that._ She was going to KILL Danny!

"No, no," she mumbled, sniffing loudly and hiding behind the suit of armor even more. "He's got nothing to do with this. It's _my_ fault. My fault for thinking things would work out. _My_ fault for thinking he was anything more than a scheming, loathsome, Slytherin."

It was all over. Kadric would go back to laughing at her, Chalondra would leave Hogwarts with a broken heart, and Yoyo would attack Chalondra about how her kiss with him had been better than Chalondra's. It had been, too. Chalondra's and Kadric's had barely been anything. But theirs had looked…well, it had been longer, anyway.

Just then, she heard a noise. Feet. Someone was walking quickly. Huddling closer into the shadows behind the suit of armor, she peeked an eye through the legs of the knight, seeing Kadric striding down the hall, looking earnestly around him. She held a gasp, clamping a trembling hand over her mouth. He seemed to hear something. He paused, and turned back to look in her general direction. Feeling like she might faint, Chalondra slowly lowered her hand.

But she missed the ground, and instead, struck the knight in the ankle. It wobbled, and Chalondra's hopeless attempts at steadying it caused the armor to tremble even more dangerously. Within seconds, the whole thing crashed to the ground around her. The helmet even bopped her on the head for good measure.

Letting out a moan, Chalondra rubbed at her head. She winced, looked at Kadric out of the corner of her eyes. He was watching her, seemingly shocked.

Standing up abruptly, Chalondra stepped out of the fallen armor. Still, Kadric said nothing. And still, Chalondra ignored him. "Reparo," she murmured, pointing her wand at the armor. The thing flew back to the way it had been before Chalondra had chosen it for a hiding spot.

She waited. Only a few seconds. She waited, hoping he would say something. He didn't. Feeling tears prick at her eyes again, she took a few steps down the hall.

"Ch—Chalondra! Wait up a second!"

She chose to ignore him and disobey his order; she walked faster.

"Chalondra! _Chalondra!_"

"I'm not listening!" she yelled back, turning sharply around a corner. She had no idea where she was headed, but she just wanted away from him. "I can't hear you!"

"Yes you _can!_ Stop!"

"Why don't you go run after Yoyo instead? And laugh about your little plan? Did it work?" She knew her voice was wobbling, but she didn't care. "I bet it did!"

"What? A plan?" A hand grasped her arm. Chalondra froze. She hadn't realized he was coming up so fast. He forced her to spin around and face him.

"What in all of the wizarding world are you _talking_ about?"  
Chalondra gave a hearty sniff. Kadric didn't loosen his grip on her arm. She tried to shrug out of it, but his fingers only clamped around her elbow tighter.

"_LET GO OF ME!_" she shrieked, ripping her arm out of his hand. The scream in her voice was what had probably taken him by the most surprise; never had she screeched at someone like that. She took two steps back, feeling her breath come out heavily. "I don't—I don't need this right now," she said, trying to keep her voice in fake calmness. Kadric watched her with wide eyes. "I can't."

"If you'd just let me explain—"

"Explain? _Explain?_ That what? You've hated me from the beginning? That talking to me has been a _waste?_ That kissing me has been a _waste? _That _I've_ been a waste? That your little plan to trick me into—into _feeling_ something I shouldn't for you worked? That you knew kissing Yoyo would make me feel like this? Feel this TERRIBLE?"

She glared at Kadric. Given the shocked expression on his face, he could have almost tricked her into thinking he actually had no idea about these feelings she had, or how she felt right now. It was almost like…almost like…

"Oh no." She felt a blush creeping onto her cheeks. Stupid, stupid girl! She had just given Kadric the satisfaction of knowing how she actually felt!

He still didn't say anything. Her blushing face immediately turned into a scowling one. "Oh, what, why are you so surprised? You look stupid with your mouth hanging open like that," she snapped, pointing a finger threateningly at him. "This is what you wanted all along, wasn't it? For me to feel stupid? Embarrassed? Useless? Like—like some kind of toy?"

Kadric seemed to finally manage talking. "I have _no_ idea what you're talking about," he hissed, his tone dangerous. Chalondra stuck out her chin stubbornly, making sure to glare at him.

"Sure. Because you know, I can trust you, right?" Her voice was dripping with sarcasm. The tone seemed to irritate Kadric.

"Chalondra, I had _no_ idea she was going—"

"STOP!" Chalondra yelled, clapping her hands to her ears. "I don't want to hear your excuses!" She whirled around, eyes brimming with tears and strode quickly down the hall.

This time, Kadric didn't follow.

* * *

The idea came to Chalondra when she was sitting in the common room. She was near the hearth, curled up like a cat in a nearby blue chair, with gold gilding on the edges. Her feet poked out of the edge, and her elbows seemed ready to collapse as they held her head up, but she didn't care. Her eyes continued to stare into the hearth flames, unblinking.

"Hey, what're you looking so grim for?" Danny plopped down on the ground beside her. Chalondra was silent for a few seconds, and then slowly slid her eyes down to look at Danny below her. He was grinning at her, his head level with hers even though he was on the ground, cross-legged.

"Hi," she mumbled.

Danny cocked his head. "Gee, that was really pathetic," he told her dryly.

"Sorry," she said, not sorry at all. "I've had a bad day."

"Oh." Danny fidgeted. "Why don't you tell your friends about it?"

Chal snorted. "Sorry Danny, I don't have any friends at the moment."

Minute by minute, the plan was become clearer. This would be _perfect! _

"Really?" Danny looked genuinely surprised. "Are you guys in a fight?"

Flashes of her and Kadric in the Hospital Wing flew through her mind. Memories of Yoyo and Kadric…she shivered. "You could say that."

"Ah. Well…sorry."

"Don't be."

"Why not?"

"It's not worth it."

"It's not?"

"I'll be out of Hogwarts soon. I should be more focused on school and marks anyway."

"Chalondra…"

"What?" she asked waspishly. "It's _fine,_ Danny, honest."

"Well, if you're sure."

"I am."

A silence settled. "Are you guys fighting over a boy or something?" Danny asked innocently, not looking at her.

Chalondra let out a silent gasp. How had he known? How could he be _any _closer?

"No! Of course not!" Chalondra sniffed. "I don't have time for boys."

Danny frowned. "Oh. Right."

Chalondra fidgeted. "Hey Danny," she began slowly, not believing what she was about to say.

"Yea?"

"Would you like to…help me out?" Oh my god, she thought drearily. I'm falling down to _his _level!

"Yea, of course!" Danny replied enthusiastically.

"Are you a good actor?"

Danny's face fell a bit. "Er…yea, I guess. How come?"

"Because…" Chalondra's expression became even more cat-like. "I need you to be my pretend boyfriend."

* * *

Kadric picked at the food on his plate. He nibbled at it. He moved it around with his fork, taking a sip of his pumpkin juice.

This wasn't working. It just wasn't. Kadric didn't think he could ever feel this guilty—he didn't think he could ever feel this way about a girl, period. It was a strange feeling. Something he didn't like.

Stupid, stupid, _stupid _Yoyo! He wanted to kill her. He looked up from his food to see her watching her. He glared at her. She looked away, growing red. Good. Let her feel stupid. Let her feel embarrassed. He hated her. He hated her so much.

But he shouldn't. Augh! That accursed Chalondra! She was driving him crazy.

The door creaked open. Kadric looked up, startled at its loud noise. He sucked on his bit of sausage in surprise, feeling the whole thing slither down his throat. He began to choke and gag and cough and nearly die. Only when he regained control did he manage to look up again.

It was Chalondra. Never had she been late to breakfast. But here she was, clearly late.

And she was holding hands with a _boy._

Oooh. That girl. She was pure evil. She had been taking too many Kadric lessons. She was good. She was very good.

Too bad Chalondra was doing it for all the wrong reasons.

So she had a fake boyfriend. Big deal. Kadric didn't care. Deep inside, he knew she still wanted to kiss _him._ He knew she liked _him._ But remembering her screaming, her tone, and her tears…he gulped. It didn't seem like she'd be forgiving him any time soon.

With narrowed eyes, he watched her pat something off of his shoulder. He watched her laugh at something that stupid, puffed-up Ravenclaw boy said. He wanted to claw his eyes out.

No! No! Stop! He thought, cringing at his feelings. She's faking! She doesn't like that boy! It's all an act, a plot to make you feel jealous! She _knows_ what she's doing. Chalondra's smart…it's a pity you just didn't apologize, idiot.

He shook his head. An annoying thought crept into his head. What if they spent so much time together that she _actually_ began to like him? That would be terrible! Horrifying!

"Augh!" Kadric cried, slamming a fist on the table. Nearby Slytherins looked over at him, brows raised. He glared at them, picked up his bag, and strode out of the Great Hall.

Two could play at _this _game.

* * *

Chalondra saw him leave. She grinned in a sad, morbid sort of satisfaction at the look of anger on his face. Good. Let him feel terrible about seeing her with another guy. Let him know how _she _felt.

Flirting with Danny was an absolute nightmare. He _actually _flirted back. She could just tell, and it made her shiver. Danny was nice and all, but…she had made it clear they were just faking. Nothing, _nothing _was ever going to happen between them.

He seemed to be taking it a little too seriously though.

"Hey Chalondra," he whispered. She managed to avoid eye contact with him and Kate, who was glaring daggers at her. "How about we go out now and find a dark, secluded corner…"

"Um!" Chalondra stood up, blushing. "Sorry Danny, gottagobye!" She rushed out of the hall, nearly sprinting towards the doors.

She stood in the Entrance Hall, panting. That stupid boy! Danny! Kadric! They were all the same. Danny was taking it too seriously, and Kadric was a boy she hated with all of her heart.

Too bad she actually didn't. She was trying to make him jealous. She was trying to make him see she didn't need him.

She knew he would see right through it. She knew he would see that she just wanted him back. But would he care? She doubted it. He was with Yoyo. He had planned this all to make her feel terrible.

She leaned against the stonewall; closing her eyes briefly, her shoulders sagging. Things were going terribly. She had a fake boyfriend, no friends, and the guy she _truly _wanted totally and completely against her.

"Hey."

Chalondra stiffened. She could feel a shadow falling across her face. She heard a hand rest against the wall inches away from her ear. She could just imagine Kadric standing in front of her, both of his hands caging her against the wall.

"What do you want?" she snapped, keeping her eyes closed.

"What, you can't look at me?" he asked innocently. She shut her eyes tighter. Chal knew what he was trying to do. Make her feel bad. Make her feel terrible. Make her realize she was doing the stupid thing. Give _him _the satisfaction of knowing she really wanted him. She could feel his breath tickling her nose. She almost sneezed.

"Go away, Kadric."

"What's with the nerd?"

"Danny is a _boy,_ Kadric," she hissed.

He shrugged. She could hear the fabric rustling. "Whatever."

She could hear the nonchalance in his voice. It stabbed through her. Did he really not care? She wasn't sure. It sounded like her plan was failing. Standing her ground, Chalondra suddenly opened her eyes. She almost gasped at the closeness between the two. Kadric smirked down at her.

"Ah. So you've woken up."

"Danny is a great guy, Kadric," she said stiffly.

"I'm sure he is," Kadric drawled, shifting his position so he was a little closer. Chalondra begged all of the gods to keep her self-control. "But is he what you really want?" he asked quietly, eyes drilling into her. Chalondra stared. She stared and stared and stared. Finally, she frowned.

"Yes," she lied. "Yes, he is."  
Kadric shrugged. "Okay."

"Yea, at least I know he won't go around kissing my friends," Chalondra informed him impulsively. Kadric immediately frowned.

"Hey, don't start that again—"

"Oh yes, Danny is a very committed guy," Chalondra continued. "He doesn't just kiss a girl and not let her know how he feels. Nope. When he kisses, he means it."

Kadric's eyes widened slightly. "Are you implying I go around kissing girls I don't like?"

Chalondra gave a false laugh, still stiff between Kadric's arms. "Finally, he gets it!" she almost yelled. "Well, you kissed me, didn't you? I'm pretty sure you don't like me."

Kadric changed the subject at lightning speed. "So you're saying you've kissed this guy already?"  
Chalondra's eyes twinkled. "Maybe," she whispered, surprised at her own acting. She was glad to see Kadric's frown deepen, to see his eyes calculating. Good. Maybe he _didn't _hate her.

She didn't care though. She wanted him to know how she had felt.

"I see," he replied coldly, not moving his arms. Chalondra was very tempted to kiss him. He was just _so close._

"Yea," she replied, making sure to look at him, unblinking.

"Hm." Kadric looked around the hall, as if checking to see if people were around.

"What, looking for witnesses?"

Kadric grinned at her evilly. "Yes, actually, I am." Then he leaned forward and kissed her lightly. Not on the lips, not on the forehead, not on the cheek, but on the nose.

The nose? Chalondra's inner thoughts screamed as Kadric paused, drew away, and walked down the halls. He's teasing me! That jerk! He's trying to see if I'll back out of this Danny thing! Augh! Why did I ever think he was nice! He STILL hasn't apologized!

Chalondra stomped up the stairs to go to her next class. She wouldn't let him get the best of her. No way. He hurt her, now she wanted to hurt him. He was going to tease her now, taunt her, but she was going to keep going. She was going to make him so jealous, so sad, it would hurt him.

Oh yes. Now it was war.


	17. Blissful

"Danny, I'm trying to do my work."

"Chal, don't you want to be convincing?"

"I'm actually okay right now," she said stiffly, scribbling something down on her parchment. It was study hall right now, and she was very distraught that Danny wanted to be her "pretend" boyfriend even when Kadric wasn't around. Of course, Danny didn't know it was Kadric Chalondra was trying to cause to be jealous, but still.

It had been two weeks since Kadric had cornered her in the hall. It had been two weeks and a bit since Kadric had stabbed her in the back by kissing Yoyo. It had been two weeks, and Chalondra was doing a good job of staying away from Kadric. She hadn't been going to tutoring lessons, and she avoided him in potions like the plague. He seemed to be avoiding her too, but the odd times when Danny wasn't around she would see him behind her, smirking; other times he would pull at her sleeve, whisper something in her ear that she didn't understand, and then whisk away down the hall. It was all so very, very confusing. She hated doing this, but she wasn't going to stop until she figured everything out.

Danny's arm was still slung around her shoulder. Chalondra closed her eyes, gritted her teeth, and began to silently count to ten. This WAS her fault, after all. She would just have to accept the consequences of turning into…oh no. Oh no.

Chalondra blanched. She was Yoyo! She was becoming _Yoyo! _This was terrible! Terrible! But…Chalondra's hand began to tremble as she wrote something barely legible in her essay. She couldn't back down now. Not after that challenge Kadric had so clearly set. She couldn't just "dump" Danny—Kadric would know what was happening. And he hated her! He tricked her! He made her friend and made her believe all these things…just to laugh at her!

She was surprised word hadn't travelled around the school yet—she was sure Kadric would be telling anyone would listen about his escapades with the stupid Ravenclaw he had hated since day one. And yet, not a word was spoken. Except for the occasional glare from Yoyo and now Kate, the school was silent. It kind of unnerved her, like Kadric was planning something bigger.

But then there was that tiny hope inside of her that prayed that maybe—_maybe_—Kadric hadn't meant anything by it. Maybe Yoyo had attacked him. Maybe he was just being a guy. Maybe…maybe Kadric liked her. It was clear he had _some_ sort of feelings for her, what with all the random kissing and hanging out with her even when he didn't have to.

Chalondra smiled serenely to herself, unknowing.

"What're you smiling about?" Danny asked hopefully. Chalondra shivered. Why was Danny being so weird? Did he like her? What a strange thought. That was nearly impossible!

"Uh—I just thought of a good answer." She bent low over her paper, as if she was writing something. She wasn't.

Just then, the door creaked open. Startled, Chalondra looked up. She let her mouth drop open. Kadric…coming to study hall! This was clearly a new development. He had never come before. Chalondra's heart jumped with hope. Was he coming to watch her? She hoped so. Let him be wary of Danny.

To her disappointment though, Kadric didn't sit beside her or across from her, or even in any way where he could look up and see her face. Instead, he sat two tables behind and a little bit over. She sighed heavily, but decided it was time to act—he might just be watching if he went to go get ink from a friend or something. You never know.

Swallowing her small amount of left over pride, Chalondra smiled warmly at Danny. Inside, she felt like gagging. Why couldn't she and Danny just be friends again? That sickly smile on his face was enough to make her scream.

The things she did for love.

If Kadric tilted his chair back a bit, leaned his head over to the left, and acted like he was looking at the wall in the corner, he could actually spot Chalondra and Danny very well. He was pleased with himself. His spying techniques were coming in handy.

Not that he felt the need to spy on them. No way. This was just because he was…okay, okay, she felt the need to spy on her. After caging her against the wall the other day, he knew there was something between them. What, he didn't know, but he was going to find out.

The time passed slowly. Kadric felt something pulsing in his forehead everytime he looked at Danny and Chalondra. Danny was always so close to Chalondra, and it ticked him off. He remembered when she couldn't tolerate any guy but him. Hmph.

It was time to do a little snooping of his own. He had let the two of their privacy, or what little was left of it. The entire school seemed to see them as the 'perfect' couple, and it made Kadric want to gag. But now he wanted to learn some information right from the source.

Time was up. He saw Chalondra hurry out of the study hall—perfect. He got up quickly, grabbing his books in one swift motion. Danny seemed to be fumbling with his things; it had nothing to with the hex Kadric had just laid on him. No way.

"Hey!" he called, making sure Chalondra was out of the classroom. Danny whirled around to look at him. Fear quickly pierced his eyes, which gave Kadric smug satisfaction. "You're Danny, right?"

Danny nodded. "Uh…yea."

"So." Kadric brushed the feathery tip of his quill beneath his chin thoughtfully, watching Danny. The boy averted his gaze, and Kadric was pleased; he still had his power. "You're going together with that Ravenclaw chick, right?"

"Chalondra," Danny choked out, shuffling with his papers.

"Mm, whatever," Kadric said airily, trying to act nonchalant. "But you're going out with her, aren't you?"

There was a silence before the boy answered. "Uh…yea. We're going—we're a couple."

"Hm." Kadric ran a hand through his hair slowly. "So…how're things between you two?"

Danny gave him an annoyed glare that quickly melted away at Kadric's icy eyes. "Uh…good, I guess. Why do you care though? I've never seen you before in my life."

Kadric frowned. "I'm a beater for the Slytherin quidditch team," he snapped.

Danny shrugged. "I don't go to quidditch game."

"Perfect couple then, aren't you?" Kadric sneered quietly. Danny raised his eyebrows.

"Look man, I don't know what you want, but—"

"Hey, I'm just wondering. A man's got to learn about the gossip from the source," he adlibbed, wondering what he was going to say next.

"…Gossip?" Danny asked, trying to act neutral. Kadric shrugged.

"Oh you know, this and that…" He paused, smirking evilly. "People are saying that you might have—well—_cheated _on her," he lied, wondering if it was visible. _But if you ever really did cheat on her I'd kill you._

Danny's eyes grew wide, and he began to splutter. "Wh—What? No! NO! I would never cheat on Chalondra! Ever!"

Kadric's eyes narrowed, trying to learn something else. "Oh really? Just HOW much do you like her anyway?"

"Look, just go away," Danny snapped, elbowing past him. Kadric's hand grabbed at Danny's sleeve at lightning speed as he pushed Kadric to the side. His eyes became slits, staring hard at Danny who, he noticed, was much shorter than him. He seemed to be about the same height as Chalondra.

"_Don't push me,_" Kadric hissed, his voice low. Danny's eyes widened.

"Hey, I didn't mean to—"

Kadric felt some pent up anger just burst out. "You didn't MEAN to? You didn't MEAN to bloody ELBOW me? I'm not DAFT, you idiot!" His voice trembled with rage; he really had no reason to be this angry, he knew that, but all the emotions about Chalondra were just leaking out now—but in anger form.

"I—I never said you did…"

Kadric pushed Danny away from him, sending the boy flying into the chairs. He became tangled up in them, the noise of his flight echoing around the empty study hall. "Just get away you flaming moron!"

He glared at the struggling Danny but then averted his gaze, watching to see if anyone had seen; no one seemed to be gawking at them. But at that very second he felt something lunge into his abdomen. Two arms wrapped around him and threw him to the ground. His air flew out of his lungs as the heavy body landed on top of him. Struggling, Kadric kicked Danny off of him, panting heavily, trying to get oxygen back into his lungs. Coughing, he managed to glare at Danny, who was now glaring at him too.

"Who are you to call me a moron? Who are you to push me into the _table?_ I don't even KNOW you, but you're a Slytherin and that's all that matters."

Kadric smirked at him, rolling up his uniform's sleeves and loosening his green and silver tie. "Oh yea?" he asked tauntingly. "Maybe you think I'm a _threat._ Maybe I'm walking on your _territory._"

Danny's eyebrows furrowed to a dangerous point. "What are you _talking _about?"

"Oh, you know, your little girlfriend might be something of interest," Kadric hissed, not bothering to hide everything. The look of shock on Danny's face was enough to get him angry. "Oh, are you so surprised? Yea, she probably thinks I'm hot. Big deal though. I just want to kill you because you're an idiot!" Kadric jumped at him, aiming at his head for a punch. Danny, unaccustomed to fighting, was too slow and Kadric's knuckles met with his cheekbone. With a huge crack Danny fell to the floor. He rolled up quickly though, panting and wiping the blood away from his mouth.

"Think you're some tough guy, Slytherin? As if. I barely felt that bloody punch!"

Kadric growled. "Bloody is right!" he roared, running at Danny again and attacking him with anything he had; legs, hands, arms. He was a madman, beating on Danny and pushing him to the ground, throwing him onto the tables. But Danny came right back, punching him in the stomach and kicking him in the ribs. The fight was an intense one, filled with cursing and yelling and insults and injury. Kadric was having the time of his life, beating up this nitwit.

"Chalondra! Chalondra!"

Chal whirled around to see a girl she knew from Hufflepuff, panting and grabbing at her robe sleeve. Chalondra looked down at her. "What's wrong Megan?" she asked.

"Danny! He's…in a fight! It's baaad! I saw it myself, and I've been spreading the news!"

Chalondra blanched. As much as Danny annoyed her, she hated to see him get beaten up. She looked up again, noticing students running down the hall towards the study hall. Great. There would be a flipping _audience. _

"Who's he fighting?" she asked, walking quickly towards the study hall with Megan.

"Some Slytherin guy! I saw them muttering with each other, and then Danny pushed him to the side and the Slytherin just literally THREW him into the air and then it all went downhill from there!" Megan looked worried, but Chalondra felt plain horror curdling her stomach.

_Kadric. Kadric is fighting with Danny! Oh my God! _Without explanation Chalondra began to sprint towards the study hall, dropping her books on the ground along the way.

As soon as she reached them, she gasped and cringed with horror. A flock of people clothed in black were pouring in to watch. Chalondra bit her bottom lip and plunged in, manoeuvring her way around until she finally reached the front. Then, she literally screamed.

Kadric's face was bloodied up. His hair had streaks of red in it and his tie was torn. His arms had cuts and bruises on them, but there was a fire in his eyes Chalondra had never seen before. He seemed almost happy. Insane, more like it. Danny was even worse off then Kadric. He limped to one side, like something was wrong with his ribs. His entire face was bloodied up, and his clothes were torn and ripped. His skin was purple with bruises. He looked almost confused, as if he didn't know where he was.

"KADRIC!" she yelled, then clapped her hands to her mouth. "Uh—I mean—DANNY! STOP!" The boys paid her no attention. Kadric threw one of his elbows out at Danny's chest, knocking him to the ground. Chalondra yelped. "STOP! STOP YOU GUYS!" She took one step nearer, but someone behind her grabbed her shoulder to hold her back. She whirled around to see Yoyo. Her eyes were wide.

"Don't! You'll get hurt!"

Chalondra let her mouth drop open, and was about to reply before Professor Snape barged through them, throwing Yoyo back into the crowd. Chalondra forgot her for a second, whirling around to see the professor throw a spell at the two. Kadric stopped in mid-movement, as did Danny who was getting up off of the floor. Kadric's face was contorted with immeasurable anger; it scared Chalondra.

"You two are coming with me," he hissed, glaring at Kadric. "Especially you, Mister Marsters. One of my house, how idiotic!" his words rang through out the hall. Students began to back out and run away, fearing the wrath of Snape. Chalondra stayed where she was, watching with her eyes wide. She swore she felt tears in them and rubbed at them. There was only one reason Kadric would fight with Danny. He was mad at him because of Chalondra. That didn't make sense. Why would Kadric care that Danny was dating Chalondra?

As the two passed her, now able to walk and being led by Snape, Danny tried to explain. "He was lying about us, Chal, he was saying stuff. I don't even know the guy!" Chalondra ignored him though, watching Kadric with horror. He kept his gaze forward, but let his eyes slide towards her once as he passed her. She gasped; there was blood, so much blood everywhere on him…but then he was gone, being pushed down the hall. She wiped at her eyes hastily again and then took off in the opposite direction, utterly perplexed.

Kadric scrubbed at the cauldron angrily, every swipe with his sponge filled with anger and hatred toward Danny. The two were sharing a detention in Snape's dungeon, where they were instructed to clean every cauldron—by hand—until they shined. Snape himself was sitting in his desk, making sure the two didn't kill each other.

Kadric winced as he scrubbed at the cauldron particularly harshly. Pomfry had fixed as much as she could on the both of them, but Kadric's arm seemed to be pulled somewhere in the muscles. Pomfry had told him only time could heal some things in the body.

He risked a glance at Danny. His cute little expression that made girls fall for him was twisted in pain. Kadric felt grim satisfaction pierce him; he had hurt him. Good. He had seen Chalondra there though. She had seen Kadric fight Danny. He didn't even know that the fight would have escalated so far, but it had. And he didn't feel the least bit sorry. But Chalondra…what would she be thinking? She must know Kadric had approached him, considering Danny had told her he didn't even know he was. Bloody bastard. What would she assume? Well, the truth probably. She knew he was jealous. She knew he would explode at some point. Stupid Danny. Stupid Chalondra. He had been trying _so hard _to keep his cool, but it hadn't done anything at all.

"I am going away for a few moments," Snape said suddenly, startling the two to look up at him. Kadric blinked rapidly, his right eye watering from the cut underneath it. "Do not _touch _each other, or else you will both be expelled." A silence followed his words, but then he left with a swish of his cloak. Kadric chewed at the inside of his cheek, ceasing his scrubbing to rub his aching arm. He wondered when he would see Chalondra again. He wanted to explain things before she freaked out at him for nearly killing her boyfriend.

Just then, the door creaked open. Kadric bent down hastily, trying to act as though he had been scrubbing. But it was Danny's words that caused his head to whip up.

"Chalondra?"

It was her, all right. She was standing in the doorway, her long hair framing her face elegantly and her eyes wide and soulful. Kadric cursed himself and looked down at his cauldron. Why did he have to be so easily affected by her damn good looks?

"Hi Danny," she replied softly, stepping in and closing the door behind her. "I got Snape to leave for a few seconds so I could talk to you."

Kadric grimaced; leave it to the genius to get rid of a teacher so she could talk to her precious _boyfriend. _

"Really?" Kadric wanted to choke the perkiness out of his voice. "Well, what about?"

"I wanted to say…I'm sorry."

"Chal, it's not your fault."

_Keep scrubbing, keep scrubbing…do not look up, do not look up…_

"Well—um—I just needed to tell you something."

_Scrub. Scrub._

"I think we should…I think we should break up."

Kadric nearly dropped the cauldron out of his lap and onto the ground. He felt something warm leap around in his chest. Break up? She wanted to break up with the loser! Excellent! Maybe this was a sign. Maybe she knew the truth and didn't mind. Maybe she had figured out that _he _hadn't kissed Yoyo. Maybe she had figured out that he didn't hate her at all. That, in fact, he felt something for her so deep he was afraid of it. Maybe…Maybe…

"Well. Okay."

Kadric risked a glance up. Danny looked perfectly calm, if not a bit uncomfortable, and Chalondra was looking down at her shoes.

"You know, it wasn't really working out anyway. Me being the pretend boyfriend. I was actually sick of it. I mean, why bother doing all that for some guy? I mean, God Chalondra, have some decency sometimes, okay? I hated how you didn't like me back—telling me to act like your boyfriend gave me false hope, you know that?"

This time, Kadric actually did drop the cauldron. It fell to the ground with a large bang, but he completely ignored it. He was staring up at the two, mouth agape.

"_WHAT?_" he asked loudly. "_WHAT?_"

Chalondra's face was growing redder by the second; Danny suddenly looked uncomfortable. "Uh…"

Chalondra looked over at Kadric, eyes swimming with tears. It startled him. Why was she crying? Kadric should be the one hurt! She had tricked him. Yea, he thought at the beginning it might have been a hoax, but later on it had seemed so real…but…wow!

"You tricked me?" Kadric asked quietly, standing up with the sponge still in his hand. Chalondra gave a meek nod. Danny was watching them.

"What, you mean you tricked me for THIS guy?" Danny asked incredulously. "Chal, that's stupid!"

Chalondra glared at Danny; Kadric saw the tears on her cheeks and he felt increasingly worse for her. Everything was just a big mess right now. All sorts of thoughts and emotions were racing through his mind and body. But right now all he saw as Danny lecturing Chalondra and Chalondra crying. What a jerk!

Without any warning Chalondra turned and fled out of the classroom. Kadric could hear her shoes echoing down the stone hall. "Oh, _nice one!_" Kadric hissed at Danny, striding up to him and glaring down at him. "You're such a—I just—flippin' bastard!" Kadric yelled. "What the hell is wrong with you?" With that he spun around and raced out of the classroom after Chalondra, leaving a baffled and slightly irritated Danny in his wake.

"Chalondra?" he called, trying to follow the sound of her footsteps down the maze of stone tunnels. "Chalondra! It's Kadric! Chal!" He had never called her that, but he needed to find her right now, and the nickname felt warm on his tongue.

Just then she flew out of a tunnel, running straight into him. She staggered back, sobbing. Kadric grabbed at her arm. The two stared at each other for a second, but then Kadric grabbed Chalondra and wrapped her in a tight hug, resting his cheek on the top of her head. He felt her arms grasp at him, heard her sobs wracking against his chest. He just hugged her closer, finally feeling at peace. This was _right. _It felt completely and utterly perfect, hugging her like this. Keeping her close so she could never leave him. This was exactly what he needed. He knew it was right…for the both of them.

He kept her close until her sobs dried up into silence. He didn't let his arms leave her for what seemed like hours; she didn't seem to want to pull away from his hug, either. They didn't need to talk; they didn't need to explain or deny or try to understand each other. They just fell into peaceful silence, and both felt completely and utterly blissful.


End file.
